Teach Them to Love Jesus
“Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” Deuteronomy 6:5
We’ve taught our sons and daughters many things over the years, often by talking to them and repeating words and phrases and the truths of Scripture, but more often, by being an example to them. When we taught them how to tie their shoes, we didn’t just say it, we showed them- over and over, until they could do it themselves, and then we praised their efforts. We taught them how to be self-sufficient, mature, and how to live with integrity.
When it comes to teaching our sons and daughters the truths of faith, our words carry weight, but our example speaks more loudly. Friends, we need to live it out in front of them. Our words don’t have nearly as much impact as our actions, our attitudes, and the demonstration of our love and commitment to Jesus being lived out in our daily life. It cannot be “do as I say, not as I do”. They’re adults. They will do what they choose. But if we live out our faith, consistently, circumspectly, putting Jesus at the forefront, always, our lives will reflect His character and our actions will demonstrate our priority of faith. Because, if we’re honest, it’s not that we want our kids to do what we say…we want them to do what Jesus says.
Think back to your days in elementary school. Do you remember the lessons? Do you recall how you learned fractions or reading? It’s possible vague details will return, but if asked about your teacher, you would immediately begin to give a description of how your teacher interacted with you and made you feel important, seen, and valued. The teacher had a lot to say, but what impacted us was their character and actions toward us.
“I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. All of us, then, who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you.” Philippians 3:12b-15
As we live out our Christian walk, are we investing more time and energy into words, or actions? Are we trying to convince others (especially our sons and daughters) that what we believe is right and true, or are we modeling it to them? We must be cautious because we can weary others by always trying to prove our point. Paul says “and if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you.” Paul was assuring the Philippians that by pursuing the Lord, God would make clear what is right and true. It wasn’t up to Paul and the church to correct people’s thinking. Should we speak truth? Absolutely! Can we demand or pressure others to follow it.? Not so much. It’s a heart-decision that only the Holy Spirit can motivate.
Though our sons and daughters are grown, we still feel that burden to know that they are walking with the Lord. That burden may inspire us to speak a bit too much, press a little too hard, to try and sway their thinking. But friends, we are still teaching them when we interact with them by living out our faith. We demonstrate how to be a disciple when we consistently follow the Lord, pursue personal time with Him, memorize His word and obey His commands. We model what it means to love when we are patient, kind, unselfish, and forgiving (1 Corinthians 13). We show them the strength and humility that accompanies asking forgiveness when we apologize for saying what we shouldn’t or doing something hurtful. We are not above that, at any age.
Our interaction with them says more than our words ever could. It communicates that God is what is most important to us and we will always submit to Him, making Him the head, the Lord, and the Shepherd of our hearts. He is the One to whom we surrender all of ourselves, and that will be reflected in our life, so more than in our words. Take a moment to check yourself, is that what your life demonstrates? Could others testify to it… would they?
Model Jesus to your sons and daughters at every opportunity. Let your actions speak loudly and let the Holy Spirit do His work.
“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:” Philippians 2:3-5
Pray that they would love Jesus authentically and that He would be the foundation upon which they build their life.
Pray without ceasing.
Why Pray Scripture?
It’s hard to communicate in words what lies in our hearts and what stews in our minds, isn’t it? Sometimes we just cannot put into words the depths of our griefs and joys, the details of our worries and fears. Oftentimes, in speaking to the God of the Universe, we realize our smallness, our limitations, our insufficiencies…and we should. We are fragile, limited, and insufficient…but we are the children of the King! We are sons and daughters of the Most High God and He stoops to hear us.
Psalm 116:1-2 says “I love the LORD because He hears my voice and my prayer for mercy. Because He bends down to listen, I will pray as long as I have breath!” (NLT)
God bends down to listen to us. Just like a father would get down to listen to his little child who has a need or something to share, God leans towards us to hear what we’re asking, understand what we’re telling Him, and gives us His full attention because He loves us.
So, why should we pray Scripture? God’s word is so complete that it can put into words what we cannot. Speaking God’s words back to Him demonstrates we value His Word, we understand the power that it holds, and shows our submission to its authority.
Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”
Meditate on that. God’s word is living, not dead, not antiquated, not ‘yesterday’ but alive and working. The Greek word is ‘energes’ and means “active, working, effectual, operative, powerful” (1) The Word of God is active and powerful! And isn’t that what we want our prayers to be?!
Scripture is also sharp, ‘tomos’, meaning it can cut by a single stroke. It’s not dull, requires no hacking, sawing, or repeated blows. The double-edged sword was a prized weapon in battle because you could swing back and forth, taking out your enemies with each swing. A sharp, double-edged sword was to be feared and could not be competed against. Scripture imparts fear in the enemy, friends! Our own words do little. God’s word pierces and divides. When we pray, we want to pierce the darkness and evil, we want to divide error from truth, we want to separate those we are burdened for from the oppression and evil that would seek to bring them down. God’s word is powerful to do that.
Scripture separates and brings distinction between things as well. Hebrews mentions joints and marrow. We might question, “Why did God talk about that?” Consider what a joint does, it connects things and allows for movement. Yet, sometimes our connections are unhealthy and our movements are in the wrong direction. We can use scripture to pray that any movement is God-led and that our sons and daughters remain closely connected to Him. Psalm 1:1-2 is a wonderful passage to pray: “Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the LORD, and who meditates on His law day and night.”
But what about the marrow? Ah, the marrow is life-generating. We can live without joints, but we cannot live without marrow. The Greek word for marrow is ‘myelos’ and means blood. Marrow allows for life, generates new blood cells that fight infection, carries oxygen, and helps stop bleeding. A bone marrow transplant can restore life. Death of the marrow brings death to the body.
Finally, scripture discerns the intentions of the mind and heart. It is decisive to address each aspect of the individual’s thought life and heart attitude. Scripture is the all-inclusive remedy to every situation, challenge, attack, and need. Psalm 19:7-8 “The law of the LORD is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes.
When we pray Scripture over our sons and daughters, we’re praying the very words of God that are effectual and life-giving, protective and sustaining. We need to form a habit of opening our Bibles and praying back the words we read. If we do, we are praying words that are alive, active, discerning, penetrating, and effective to fight spiritual battles with the double-edged sword of scripture, battling principalities and powers that would seek to harm and destroy. We can pray a spiritual hedge of protection around our sons and daughters. We can ask that the Lord would bring other believers to encourage, challenge, and keep them accountable. Through prayer and Scripture, we have access to the Throne room of The Almighty, Great I AM, our Father, our Savior, our Friend. Scripture is so precious, we must embrace it, learn it, pray it and memorize it.
Let’s boldly pray Scripture this week, speaking God’s own words over our sons and daughters, asking Him for protection, guidance, wisdom and strength. Psalm 25 is a great place to begin, but please, share the Scripture you’re praying!! Let’s encourage one another as we kneel before the Throne!
Psalm 25
1 In you, Lord my God,
I put my trust.
2 I trust in you;
do not let me be put to shame,
nor let my enemies triumph over me.
3 No one who hopes in you
will ever be put to shame,
but shame will come on those
who are treacherous without cause.
4 Show me your ways, Lord,
teach me your paths.
5 Guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my Savior,
and my hope is in you all day long.
6 Remember, Lord, your great mercy and love,
for they are from of old.
7 Do not remember the sins of my youth
and my rebellious ways;
according to your love remember me,
for you, Lord, are good.
8 Good and upright is the Lord;
therefore he instructs sinners in his ways.
9 He guides the humble in what is right
and teaches them his way.
10 All the ways of the Lord are loving and faithful
toward those who keep the demands of his covenant.
11 For the sake of your name, Lord,
forgive my iniquity, though it is great.
12 Who, then, are those who fear the Lord?
He will instruct them in the ways they should choose.
13 They will spend their days in prosperity,
and their descendants will inherit the land.
14 The Lord confides in those who fear him;
he makes his covenant known to them.
15 My eyes are ever on the Lord,
for only he will release my feet from the snare.
16 Turn to me and be gracious to me,
for I am lonely and afflicted.
17 Relieve the troubles of my heart
and free me from my anguish.
18 Look on my affliction and my distress
and take away all my sins.
19 See how numerous are my enemies
and how fiercely they hate me!
20 Guard my life and rescue me;
do not let me be put to shame,
for I take refuge in you.
21 May integrity and uprightness protect me,
because my hope, Lord,[c] is in you.
22 Deliver Israel, O God,
from all their troubles!
Pray without ceasing!
G1756 - energēs - Strong's Greek Lexicon (niv). Retrieved from https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g1756/niv/mgnt/0-1/
Acid Tongue
Ephesians 4:29 “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.”
Acid burns. It corrodes. It’s sour. Those qualities can describe our words, too. They hit hard, they burn and fester. Words can eat away at our heart and mind leaving them raw, exposed and hurting. Words can set our spirit on edge and cause damage that is not easily repaired.
Sometimes we may find ourselves using our words to try and motivate certain responses or actions - what we think our sons and daughters should do or be. But that can quickly turn into using words as a weapon to accomplish our own agenda. Our words can become passive-aggressive and just plain nasty. Maybe we don’t intend them to be so; sometimes we don’t realize the weight and sharpness of our words. But we should.
James 3:5-10 says, “Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be.”
Our words can pull others close, or push them away. They can speak truth in love and be a balm to a hurting heart. Or our words can be caustic, burning as they hit and leaving scars as they sink deeply. Our mantra should not be “well, the truth hurts”. It should be “how can I speak like Jesus?” You see, Jesus didn’t look for opportunities to tear others down, to speak ‘truth that hurts’ or to use passive-aggressive means to win souls. He didn’t use His words to puff himself up or show himself ‘better than’. He didn’t use words to shame or humiliate. No, Jesus was compassionate. He was thoughtful.
Yes, Jesus spoke truth- He IS the Truth. But he spoke it in such a way that the ‘other’ was respected. He spoke with words that intrigued the listener and supported the Holy Spirit’s work in them. Even those caught in sin were spoken to in love, not spite or arrogance (that was the Pharisees’ approach). The woman in John 8, caught in sin, wasn’t given a whole sermon on her depravity. She wasn’t paraded out as an example to others and shamed for her actions. Her missteps were not listed out for her and all others to hear. She wasn’t humiliated because of her error, she was shown compassion, because Jesus loved her and He wanted His words to reflect His love and compassion.
Proverbs 12:18 “There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.”
Let’s not allow our words to be dictated by which day of the week it is….- speaking sweetly on Sunday when we’re at church and then turning the switch to acid words when we get in the car and set our Bible aside. Let’s stop and think, “will my response, my words, my questions and my encouragements make others love Jesus more…or will they begin to corrode the heart and spirit of the listener?”
The Lord calls us to love Him with all of our heart, our soul, our mind and our strength (Luke 10:27). If all of us is consumed with Him, then our words will be a by-product of that relationship. We’ll speak words of truth and life because that’s where our heart, soul, mind and strength are grounded . If our words don’t reflect that, it’s an indication that our focus might need some readjusting.
Friends, Jesus doesn’t need us to be another's ‘Holy Spirit’. He’s got that covered. He needs us to speak truth in love. Yes, friends, it’s time to watch our words. Let’s put aside the acid tongue and speak to one another, to our sons and daughters, to those who may be within earshot, with an agape vocabulary: one that shows affection, goodwill, benevolence and love. “Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.” Proverbs 16:24.
Today, let’s pray that we speak in ways that reflect Christ. Pray that our sons and daughters would as well. Pray that the Holy Spirit would put a guard on our tongues and prick our hearts when we begin to pour acid instead of honey. Let’s impact our world with the Love of Christ, not the sting and stench of the old nature.
“Father, You are the Author of Truth and the giver of good. If we are your children, we should reflect Your nature- help us to do that. I pray that when I speak, it would be motivated by love and not my own agenda. Lord, I so want my sons and daughters to follow after You. But sometimes my words don’t encourage them and the example I set is not always one that reflect You. Change me, Lord. Make me more like Jesus. Let the words I speak build others up- even if they’re just overhearing, let them be blessed because they hear Jesus in the way and words that I speak. I pray for (name) today. Let the words of their mouth and the meditation of their heart be pleasing in Your sight, Lord (Ps. 19:14) Lord, help us to respond, not react, when we choose to speak. Let our words be like honey, not like acid. Lord, I love You and I want to represent You well. Please work in me, work in my family, let our words point others to the cross, not to a wake of wreckage that we leave behind due to our acid tongues. Let us be known for the sweetness of our words, not an acid tongue. “Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth: keep watch over the door of my lips.” (Ps 141:3” In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.”
Pray without ceasing, friends!
G26 - agapē - Strong's Greek Lexicon (kjv). Retrieved from https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g26/kjv/tr/0-1/
Psalm 15:3 Slanderous Words
Psalm 15:1-3
“Lord, who may dwell in your sacred tent? Who may live on your holy mountain?”
“The one whose walk is blameless, who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from their heart;
and has no slander on his tongue, who does his neighbor no wrong and casts no slur on his fellowman,”
As we work through Psalm 15, praying each verse, we’re learning what God says about those He welcomes to live in His presence, and isn’t that what we desire for our sons and daughters? We know that God desires those whose walk is blameless, who do what is righteous and who speak truth (the opposite of slander) from their heart. They need to know God’s word and live by it. Psalm 15:3 continues by adding that those who are welcome to live in God’s presence should have no slander on their tongue- they set a guard on their mouth.
Slander is a wicked thing. We see it in the world around us, and most recently in a trial between celebrities. Untruths spread to damage another, to get ahead, to inflict hurt in return for hurt. That’s not how we’re called to live. Yet, that’s the example set by the world today. Our sons and daughters need to rise above it.
Have you heard of toothpaste words? Just like toothpaste squeezed out of the tube cannot be put back in…words spoken out cannot be retracted. Oh, you can try, but once said, those words are out there and will continue to make their way around, despite your best efforts to recall them.
Untruths willingly and eagerly shared to intentionally damage another's reputation are toothpaste words; they’re slander and it’s just wrong. When our kids were little, we monitored what words they used and corrected them when they said something unkind or rude. But, now that they’re adults, we just can’t control what they say. That’s true, but we can set an example and we can gently speak to them, adult to adult, about their words.
Friends, we live in an information-saturated world where everyone ‘speaks their truth’ and fights for the right to be heard. Yet, “when words are many, sin is not absent” Proverbs 10:19. We are called to a higher standard as believers.
What sets a believer apart? Their life, their actions and their words. Words carry weight and we need to be cautious how we use them. Yet, if we choose to slander, we’re sending conflicting messages to the world around us. On one hand, we speak the truth of Scripture and on the other, we share untruths that damage others. We need to love our neighbor, not use words as a weapon against them.
James 3:9-12 “With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.”
We might think that only happens ‘in the world’ but friends, it’s in the church, it’s in the small group, it’s in the friend group. It’s in Christian media and comes from Christian leaders. We need to hold ourselves accountable and to God’s word. We need to not be a party to the conversation. We need to step back and encourage others to speak truth that encourages others.
Unfortunately, many believers fall into the habit of sharing ‘hearsay’, sometimes thinly disguised as a ‘prayer request’ or shared out of ‘concern’ for a brother or sister.. But there’s a fine line between prayer requests and toothpaste words. And when we fall into that habit,, we run the risk of being known as a gossip, as someone who betrays another with information that is damaging and we become someone who is untrustworthy.
Ultimately, someone who slanders another is not respecting that other as one made in the image of God. Would we dare slander the Lord? Heavens, no! Then why would we be comfortable sharing untruths about one of His image-bearers?
Let’s pray Ephesians 4:29 becomes a guidepost in our lives and in those of our sons and daughters. “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.”
“Father, I ask that You would be glorified in my words today. Put a guard on my mouth and stop me from speaking things I should not. I pray for (name) today that they would set boundaries on what they choose to invest in when it comes to conversations and words. Lord, give them discretion in what they believe about others. Help them to cling to the Truth of Your Word and rise above the harsh words, deception and ill-intent of others. Lord, let them always treat others as fellow image-bearers, even if that other has words and actions that are ungodly. I pray that (name) would be a light and would live and speak with integrity so that they are trustworthy and honest, representing Jesus well in a world that needs Him so desperately. In Jesus name I pray, amen.”
Pray without ceasing.