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The Heart of Parenting: Chamber 4: Truth:

Congratulations! You’ve made it to the final day. We will unpack the final chamber of the heart of parenting: truth.

What is truth? Truth is God’s Word. Truth is the Bible. And it’s not just our kids who need it . . . we need it too!

Take a look at 1 Peter 2:1-3. This verse talks about spiritual milk and how we need to crave it like newborns. What is Peter actually talking about here? He’s talking about spiritual truth.

When we become Christians, we hunger for spiritual knowledge . . . for truth located in God’s Word. We first need to start with milk because we are just babies spiritually. It’s not physical milk; it’s simple revelation about God—His awesome character and amazing grace towards us.

Then, as we spiritually grow, we can advance to solid foods. We can discuss the more intricate aspects of the Bible, draw even closer, and learn more about our Creator and Father. But if we started on this adult food as a spiritual newborn, it wouldn’t end well.

The Bible is your fuel. It’s your nourishment. We see this in Deuteronomy 8:31. Don’t think you’re passionate about God without being passionate about the Bible. Sooner or later (and I’m voting for sooner), you need to take a bite on your own or starve. If you chew it up, the nourishment of the truth will start surging through your veins.

There’s nothing complicated here. You sit down with God’s Word. You open it. Then, you read it. It doesn’t take a Ph.D.

If you’re starting out, first read the book of James. Then, read plenty of Proverbs. Next, read Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. Finally, read some of David’s psalms.

Under the guidance and power of the Spirit, you honor the Word of God by honoring the things that the Word of God reveals. The nice thing is that you can do all of this immediately with your children. You don’t have to have all the answers. You just have to know the questions!

Look at what is said to the Israelites in Deuteronomy 6:1-9. Notice how they were told to impress God’s statutes upon their hearts and discuss them with their children. Don’t be afraid to address biblical things with your kids!

Start with John’s gospel, perhaps. Make some time to be with your kids and start asking the same questions to them that you ask yourself. Your kids will think you’re brilliant! They will think you are the famous Greek philosopher Socrates. (Everybody thought he was smart, but all he did was sit around and ask people questions all day. That guy had it made!)

If your kids start asking questions, and they stick you for an answer that you don’t know, utter the six magic words: “I don’t know. I’ll find out.” Then, call your pastor. (That’s why you pay him the big bucks!)

This may sound a little intimidating if you’ve never done it before. But there’s something powerful about honoring God’s Word with the people that God wants you to honor. We’re not just supposed to be fed. God wants us to be feeders while we are being provided. We do this by sharing the feast with others and modeling how they can invite others to the table and share the feast with them, too.

Flex your heart muscle in your most important relationships—your family relationships. When all four chambers of marriage—love, forgiveness, healthy communication, and sexual intimacy—and parenting—love, honor, training, and truth—work in unison, God’s lifeblood will course through your family’s veins and into the world.

For more resources on marriage and parenting, visit http://shannonodell.com/.