Teach them diligently

“And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.” - Deuteronomy 6v6-9

What is the most important thing that we can do to express and carry on our faith? Moses seems to give a very clear answer to this here in Deuteronomy chapter 6.

There are two clear steps listed here.

1) Keep them in your heart

2) Teach them diligently to your children

The first is obvious. We can do nothing with God’s teachings if we do not first make them a part of our lives. God’s word must be more than just something we take in at church or in our devotions and then leaved it aside.

The second thing is a bit more challenging. We are told to teach them to our children. The primary responsibility of teaching our children is up to us. How are we to teach them?

1) When we sit at home

2) When we go out

3) When we lie down

4) When we get up

In other words the teaching of God’s word is something that must be always ongoing. It is far more than Sunday School or family devotions. Our teaching must take place no matter what we are doing. It must be constant and consistent, always before us. As parents there is no more important task than teaching our children. Let’s do it diligently, or “pointedly” as the Hebrew word implies. We must make of point of doing is constantly.