Bedtime Discipleship

I am not a perfect parent.  Ten months ago I was a perfect parent... then Joshua was born and that quickly went away.

While I'm not a perfect parent I do promise to try my best. 

Much of the day for parents of very young children seems to be spent in survival mode, but we must do more than keep these little ones alive; we must pass our faith on to them.  We must have routines that help them understand the truths of the Gospel.  We must intentionally and strategically introduce them to Jesus.

Bedtime and nap time are two times when routine is perhaps most helpful for little ones.  These two times of day can be used to disciple even the youngest kid.  I say even the youngest because if you don't start when they are young it is hard to start later; however, don't let your child's age whether younger or older keep you from starting a discipleship routine.

Nap times with Joshua and I are done with a song.  Every time I put him down for a nap I sing him the same song.  I always sing, "Be Thou My Vision."  I do this for a couple reasons.  1) When he was born we had a trip planned to Switzerland and Ireland and that old Irish hymn was in my mind.  2) That hymn is packed with lyrics that I want my son to have written upon his heart.  I sing three verses as I rock him.  I sing these verses because I want my son to have no god and no thing above the LORD.  I want Jesus to be Joshua's best thought by day or by night.  I want my son to not be a lover of money or of man's praise but instead to be a man who's treasure is God.  And I want my son to look forward to Heaven's joys and Heaven's King.  So, every nap time I sing this song to him and I hope that this is a firm memory in his mind when he grows up.

At bedtime we read Joshua a story.  We read Dr. Seuss or Curious George or any other sort of fun book.  I want my son to learn to read and to love to read.  The Church has a long history, post-Reformation, of teaching literacy and I want my son to love reading and to love reading his Bible.  The better he can read, the more likely he will love to read.  We also read him a Bible story from a children's Bible.  These stories are short but they help us do what's next and that is pray.  Every night we pray with Joshua.  We pray that God grows him in stature and in knowledge of Him.  Tonight we read the story of the men on the road to Emmaus who didn't recognize Jesus until their eyes were opened to be able to see Him and understand who He was.  So, we prayed that God would open Joshua's eyes to see Jesus as He is.

There are many other ways to disciple your kids, no matter what the age.  The key is to do it.  Whether you choose to copy some of our bedtime or nap time routines or you find your own, the important thing is that you do it.

"Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.  Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.  These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts.  Impress them on your children.  Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up."  Deuteronomy 6:4-7

Talk all the time with your children about matters of faith, but don't only do it spontaneously.  Spontaneity is good and we must be sensitive to opportunities to disciple our kids, but we also must carve out times to do this.  You won't randomly raise your kid(s) in the faith.  This takes a concerted, organized effort.  Be intentional in following God's command for parents today.