Some of my deepest insights into the word of God have come while I was trying to figure out how to communicate it to children. This unexpected benefit of teaching children can offer a personal motivation for insight and creativity in our role as servants to children.
Still, the most obvious and important motivation is to penetrate the hearts of our youth with a love for God and his Word that will take them into eternity. It is our job to introduce them to a Savior now so that when they become sinners they will know where to turn.
It would be wonderful if the hour or so that children spend in class on Sunday mornings were only a supplement to excellent and consistent Bible instruction from home, but that is rarely the case. Too often, that Sunday time is the only hope many children have for learning to love, believe and understand the Word of God. If we are lax as teachers in our preparation and delivery of a solid, fascinating Bible story, we may face the tragedy Israel faced in Judges 2:10: “…another generation grew up who neither knew the Lord nor what he had done….”
It only takes a few years—such a brief time of neglect–to alter the course of an entire generation! Our aim should be to pack as much Bible teaching into each Sunday hour as we are able to communicate and they are able to absorb.
Take a cue from David, that man after God’s own heart who came to faith in his childhood. Let his attitude toward the Word inform the elements of faith you will try to instill in the children you teach.
Teach them:
∙ to value obedience to the Word (Ps. 119:2)
∙to memorize scripture (Ps. 119:11)
∙to find practical solutions to life problems in the Bible (Ps. 119:24)
∙to pray (Ps. 119:62)
∙to be confident and courageous when opposed by unbelievers (Ps. 119:42, 61, 70, 78, 115)
∙to prefer righteous companions (Ps. 119:63)
∙to make good choices (Ps. 119:66)
∙to learn of the compassionate nature of God (Ps. 119:77)
∙to trust God
∙to enjoy worship and Bible study (Ps. 119:103)
Our children are growing up in an increasingly godless society. We must prepare them for the opposition they will surely face. Our role as teachers is a high calling.
If the goals of faith from Psalm 119 undergird the preparation we do for our lessons each week, the stories we tell, the games we plan, the songs we sing and the crafts we create will have a more focused purpose.
Children should leave our classes energized and eager for their next Bible experience.
Linda Brumley
Seattle, Washington
