Two Tips #7
4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. 5 You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. 6 And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. 7 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. 8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. –Deuteronomy 6:4-9
Leading our families in worship can be intimidating. But the reward is worth the effort. Deuteronomy 6:4-9 connects the way we teach our children to our own love for God. It also instructs us to weave our teaching into our lives, so that it infuses whatever we’re doing, whether we’re sitting, walking, or lying down. The instruction to write God’s instructions on doorposts and gates is an encouragement to be intentional about reminding ourselves and our families of God’s instructions. Each month, we provide you with two tips for developing your personal and family discipleship from dads who, like you, are taking on the challenge of investing spiritually in their families.
Tip #1 for Personal Devotion
Read Old Books
In his introduction to Athanasius’s On the Incarnation, C. S. Lewis wrote, “Every age has its own outlook. It is specially good at seeing certain truths and specially liable to make certain mistakes. We all, therefore, need the books that will correct the characteristic mistakes of our own period. And that means the old books.” Additionally, he argued, old books have passed the test of time, while new books are still in their trial period. Lewis suggested reading one book for every new one, or at least one for every three new ones (Lewis read more than most of us). Either way, this would be a valuable practice to adopt. Christian history is full of treasures. For personal devotion, few are richer than the Puritans. Banner of Truth publishes a wide range of Puritan classics (along with those from other periods). Try starting with The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment by Jeremiah Burroughs, which “exemplifies Puritan pastoral theology at its best” (Sinclair Ferguson).
Tip #2 for Family Discipleship
Listen to Scripture Set to Music
We want Scripture to be the soundtrack of our family life. So, why not make it the literal soundtrack of your household, listening to it in the house and in the car? For younger kids, there are a number of excellent resources, such as Seeds Family Worship. Their songs are really well done, but they’re designed for kids. For Scripture set to music that you will enjoy listening to, try Will Carlisle’s Shema vol. 1 and vol. 2.
