Parents, as we seek to make disciples in our homes, it is essential that we model and teach the priorities of Christ to our children. One of those priorities is being a person of the Word.

Being a person of the Word involves having regular times of reading, meditating on, memorizing, studying, obeying, and sharing God’s Word.

So how do we help our children become people of the Word?

Teach your children about the life of Christ.

In the New Testament, we find several examples of Jesus’ love for God’s Word. Whether he was facing temptation in the wilderness (Matthew 4), Preaching the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7), Teaching in the Synagogues (Luke 2:41-52; 4:16-21), or Walking on the Emmaus Road (Luke 24) Jesus clearly knew the Word and cherished it.

Our children need to know that God’s Word was important to Jesus. This will be of great motivation for them as they grow.

Model a love for God’s Word in your life.

Not only do we need to tell our children about Jesus’ love of the Word. We also need to model that same love for the Word in our own life. We too need to be a person of the Word. Your example of reading, meditating on, memorizing, studying, obeying, and sharing God’s Word will have a lasting impact on your children. They will see and experience first-hand your love of the Word (Colossians 3:16; Psalm 119).

Model and teach them the importance of God’s Word through Family Devotion times.

Along with teaching them about Christ and modeling a love for God’s Word personally, it is also vital that as a family we have times of gathering together to read, memorize, and talk about God’s Word. We need to show our children how to treat the Bible and teach them how to understand it (Ephesians 6:4; Genesis 18:19; Deuteronomy 6:7; 2 Timothy 3:15).

A Recommended Resource for Family Devotions

As you think about how to help your children become people of the word here is a resource to consider: a family devotion book called God’s Word by Sally Michael.

Check out this statement from their website:

Because God wrote the Bible to everyone, even young children can understand the Bible’s message of sin and redemption. God’s Word provides a captivating, child-friendly resource for parents to approach the Bible with their children and to involve them in reading it for themselves.

In this full-color, illustrated book, Sally Michael explores how the Word came to us, what it tells us about its Author, what it tells us about ourselves and why it is the most special book ever written. After children learn about the Bible and how to read it, God’s Word takes them a step further and teaches them to be doers of what they read. Give your children a firm, early foundation on the truth and introduce them to God’s Word!