On Life at Home

who called you out of darkness
into his marvelous light.” We
have no less of a mission today;
to make Him known in our foreign
culture.
So, if I’ve got this straight, God
wants us to impress, on our children’s
hearts and minds, His
Word so that it will not be far
from them, or fade away. The
reason this is so crucial is that
our childhood years are formative
and impressionable. The
things that happen to us in our
childhood never leave us. Some
of my fondest memories are in
my childhood years. Part of my
childhood was in church and so
I have memory verses and scriptures
committed to memory that
are far easier to recall.
Much of my childhood was spent
without a father in the home.
When I was ten years of age, my
father deserted the family, and
our kindhearted pastor would
frequently push his work aside
and take me on little excursions.
Those were really excuses to
walk and talk along the way. Time
invested, time well spent. I still
remember the way that he lived,
the things he did, comments he
made regarding scripture, as life
happened.
The best messages are learned
as life happens. You need to be
present with your children whenever
possible. Play with them.
Take interest in their interest.
Spend time with their friends.
All the while, topics and issues
will naturally come up, and you
will have the opportunity to fulfill
the Great Commission in Matthew
24:19-20, “Go therefore…”
can literally be translated, “…as
you are going, make disciples…”
Discipleship is best during the
course of life, and children are
the greatest mission field God
has called us to.
Proverbs 4:1-10 gives evidence
of the practice that developed
from the instruction given in
Deuteronomy 6:5-9, and God
instituted early in the history of
His people, and evidence that
was still practiced when Timothy,
the Apostle Paul’s protégé, was
taught that way is found in 2 Timothy
1:5 Timothy was taught at
an early age through a tradition
passed down from his grandmother.
Such a rich family heritage we
have inherited as believers
deserves to be handed down
to the next generation. Maybe
those outburst of crass words at
my house isn’t so much a battle
after all, but the Spirit giving me
opportunity to carry out God’s
commands and fulfill the Great
Commission by passing on
legacy that will endure the test of
time.
Randy E. Williams, MDIV is a
freelance writer with 25 years
of ordained ministry: a chaplain
(military and hospital), pastor,
church consultant and Christian
conciliator.