“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.”
—Deuteronomy 6:4–7
The Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4–9) tells us that we are to be zealous to teach our children to love God. Of course this means teaching them of the love of the redeeming God. We love because He first loved us (1 John 4:19). Yes, we teach them the law to lead them to the gospel, but we also teach them that the gospel leads to the law. Our parenting is to reach beyond the hope of conversion and demonstrate to them the wisdom and beauty of sanctification. Teach them not only of God’s love for sinners; teach them how the saints are to love their Savior.
Too much parenting fails at this point. Many Christian parents are zealous to teach two lessons. They are good lessons, but they are out of balance.
Lesson #1: God loves you.
Lesson #2: I love you.
Here’s the problem with lesson 1: Your children are sinners. They abide under the wrath of God. Don’t simply tell them that God loves them. Tell them God is holy. God is just. God is righteous. But He is also loving, merciful, and gracious. They currently stand under His judgment, but He offers grace in Christ. Repent and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will know God’s never-ending, unfailing, steadfast covenant love.
Here’s the problem with lesson 2: Neither you nor your children are God. Yes, love your children. Yes, tell them you love them. But here is the lesson you are to be most zealous to teach them: love God.
Do not be more earnest to teach them that you love them than you are to teach them to love God. Too many parents are living under the laws of man, trying to appease the gods of their children and demonstrate that they really do love them. Are the little gods happy? Your children don’t need all the games, all the activities, and all the toys. All the time and everywhere parents are exhausting themselves trying to teach this lesson to their children, “I love you.” Your children would be better off with a lot less of that kind of love. The greatest thing you can do for your children and for society, is not to love them, but to love God. You cannot teach your children to love God by loving them as a god.
It must be clear to our children that there are two things we love more them them: our God and our spouse. Our love to them flows from these two strong fountains; the former infinite, the later finite. If you want to love your children best, don’t exhaust yourself to give them your all. Give God all and teach them to do the same.
Make your children god and you will crush them and crush yourself. Take on Jesus’ yoke, and learn from him. He is gently and lowly. You will find rest for your souls (Matthew 11:29). You will find liberation and peace. And the hope is that as you do so, your Father would use your weak love of Him to kindle a love for Him in your sons and daughters. Don’t distract them from God by making them god. Love God with all that you are and teach them to do the same. Less them and more God is the way to love them most.
No Other Boast 