Parents as teachers

 

We are always teaching. We do not need titles of positions. Parents are natural, lifelong teachers.

 

When I became a parent, I thought about the teachers who raised me. 

They lived the message - It wasn't about being perfect but obeying a perfect God from whom all blessings flow. I saw the message of Christ lived out in the flesh, in all transparency, joy, and suffering. I'm grateful. 

They had a message to teach - The words of the Bible were taken seriously. They were not mere facts to be memorized but a message to teach. Every part of the Bible was important, not just the ones that were comfortable to the teacher. There was reverence. The message was also easy to receive because it was shared freely throughout ordinary activities of the day. 

They taught with purpose - we kids did not know then, but there was a purpose behind what we were taught. Some things, such as the importance of intercession, were not revealed to me until decades later. I'm so glad my teachers held on to the purpose of teaching us about the ways of God. 

They taught without teaching - The kids in our family did a lot of observing. Even the most distracted among us learned by watching the lives of the faithful teachers in our lives. What do you do when sickness and death knock at your door? Without teaching, we were taught to count on God, family, and friends to see us through. Faith in action was the key lesson. 

What did you learn about the faith from those who raised you?