by Alyssa Hemmer  

It’s no secret that today’s culture is quickly spiraling away from Biblical values. My husband  and I listen to just about any news station for five minutes, and we leave scratching our  heads in confusion, with a pit in our stomachs, as we witness the depravity that fills our  world. How are we, as Christian parents, to raise our children in a culture like this? We are  to raise them the same way Christian parents for generations have raised their own  children. We faithfully teach them the truths found in Scripture. 

Now, perhaps more than ever, I’m convinced that we need to raise our children with Biblical  values. The battle begins in our homes. The battle begins with the hearts of our children. 

But how do we train our children in the way they should go in the midst of a culture devoid of Christ? Simply put, we need to view everything through the lens of Scripture, and then  teach our children to do the same. This requires us as parents to know what God’s Word says. As the psalmist states, “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee” (Psalm 119:11). 

Our children’s love for God’s Word begins with parents reading the Word to them. The Bible  wisely instructs us, “Ye shall teach them [God’s words to] your children, speaking of them  when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up” (Deuteronomy 11:19). Saturate their little hearts with the eternal truths found in Scripture. Time spent doing so is never time wasted, even if it seems momentarily fruitless. Stay diligent. 

We cannot expect our children to develop a love for God’s Word if we do not model that love  in our own lives. Carving out time to read our Bibles can be difficult in the midst of  parenting, homeschooling, and housekeeping. It often takes self-discipline on our part. But  our children will see the importance of time with God’s Word as they see us prioritize it in  our own lives. Even if we only crack open the Bible and read for five minutes in between  loads of laundry, reading for five minutes is better than no minutes. Not only do we set the  example for our children, but our own faith strengthens, and our love for God deepens as  we spend time better understanding Him through His written Word. 

We want our children to be so familiar with Biblical truth that they spot the lies of culture  immediately. But we can’t expect them to spot these lies if we don’t explain the sinfulness  that dominates much of our society. Of course, we do this in an age-appropriate way. A 12- year-old, for example, can handle more information than a 4-year-old. But nevertheless, we  do prepare them. We don’t completely shelter them from the ugly realities of our world.  Rather, we expose those realities. We direct them to what God’s Word says about them,  “that we henceforth be no more children tossed to and fro, carried about with every wind of  doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive”  (Ephesians 4:14). Eventually, our children will grow up and leave our homes. Have we  adequately prepared them for what they will face in the world? 

We must remember that, ultimately, our children’s salvation is not up to us, but up to the  Lord. What a comfort it is knowing our children are in the hands of our sovereign, loving  God. He has entrusted them to us for a short time. So we faithfully instruct them according to the law of the Lord, all the while knowing that only God can soften their hearts and lead them to repentance.

And so, we train them up to send them out, fully equipped with the truths found in God’s  Word. We immerse their hearts with the hope found in Jesus Christ so they may share that  hope with a lost and dying world. “As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are  children of the youth” (Psalm 127:4). 

About Alyssa 

Alyssa is a wife and a homeschooling mom, raising her family on a few acres in  northwestern Illinois. She spends her days teaching her little ones, reading good books  aloud, sipping great coffee, and tending to her household. She is a project starter and  sometimes a project finisher. She is a recovering perfectionist, slowly learning (by God’s grace) that it is okay to not be perfect. She is enjoying the beautiful life the Lord has blessed her with. 

Copyright 2022, The Old Schoolhouse^®. Used with permission. All rights reserved by the Author. Originally appeared in the Summer 2022 issue of The Old Schoolhouse^® Magazine, the trade publication for homeschool moms. Read The Old Schoolhouse^® Magazine free at www.TOSMagazine.com, or download the free reader apps at www.TOSApps.com for mobile devices. Read the STORY of The Old Schoolhouse^® Magazine and how it came to be.