Let's study!

Deu 6:4-9  Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:  And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.  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. 


Here we see instructions for the children of Israel to teach their children about the Lord. We all know the verses, but do we apply them to our lives. The foundation of a Christian family should be the Jesus Christ.  In order for Christ to be the foundation we must study the book that is the foundation of our faith, the Bible!

This study from 2007 is very revealing, finding that the majority of those surveyed that claim to be Christian did not or rarely prayed, did not or rarely went to church, and did not read the Bible.

 In the group's survey of 1,200 18- to 29-year-olds, 72% say they're "really more spiritual than religious." Among the 65% who call themselves Christian, "many are either mushy Christians or Christians in name only," Rainer says. "Most are just indifferent. The more precisely you try to measure their Christianity, the fewer you find committed to the faith."

Key findings in the phone survey, conducted in August and released today:

•65% rarely or never pray with others, and 38% almost never pray by themselves either.

•65% rarely or never attend worship services.

•67% don't read the Bible or sacred texts.

Many are unsure Jesus is the only path to heaven: Half say yes, half no.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/religion/2010-04-27-1Amillfaith27_ST_N.htm

What a sad commentary, but how many of those are parents attempting to raise their children in a "Christian" way.   I just did an Amazon.com search for "Christian Parenting;" the results I got included 5,324 items.  There is a plethora of choices out there claiming to be the "source" for Christian parents.  If the foundation of our families is Christ then why do we spend so much time reading everyone else's views on parenting completely forgetting the Bible as our source?  Are we like those surveyed that don't even read the Bible?  Do we daily get into the Bible and study it?  Do we spend more time studying parenting books, blogs, and forums than we do studying the Bible?   Do we use the manual of the Inspired Word of God for raising our children?  If the Bible is what we open only at church how can we even consider how we are raising our children to be "Christian?"  If we are having a problem with one of our children what do we do?  Do we pray seeking the Lord's guidance and study the Bible, or do we turn to our favorite parenting forum or parenting book?  

Php 4:13  I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

 Do we consider that raising our children is included in the "all things" we can do through Christ?  Let's endeavor to be like the Christians at Berea.

Act 17:11  These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. 

Let's study the scriptures!  It is the perfect manual for everything in our lives, including raising our children.