Dear Christine,
GREETINGS to you, and keep the good work going.
In these days when we have so many problems with children, it’s good to have those who are standing on a firm foundation.
When Kate was two years old, my granddaughter did something that would make any grandpa proud. She began to recognise cars by make and year. This all started when she and her father began spending time together and playing with his collection of toy cars.
He would say, “Kate, get the 1950 Chevy” and she would pick it out of the many tiny cars. Once when they were reading a book, she ran to get a Rolls Royce. It was an exact replica of the car in the book. When a two-year-old child can make such connections, it shows the importance of teaching children the right things from an early age.
We can do this by using what I call the FIRM Principle – familiarity, interest, recognition and modelling. This follows a pattern in Deuteronomy 6, taking every opportunity to teach the truths of the Bible to our children, so they become familiar with the truth and make it part of their lives. We do this by repeating Bible stories to them, so they become familiar with these stories, all the while modelling a godly life before them.
Let’s give the children in our lives a FIRM foundation to build on God’s love and salvation.
– A Proud and Pleased Grandpa
Dear A Proud and Pleased Grandpa,
Your granddaughter is obviously very special and precious to you. The mere fact that you have shared this insight into her life with readers tells me that you too are learning from her, as much as she is learning from you and her daddy.
It is so true that children live what they learn, and from the moment they are formed in the womb, we should speak positively into their lives and start to talk to them. When they are actually born, we have a duty to bring them up in the fear of the Lord.
I hope that everyone who reads your letter will see its importance and seek to do exactly what you have suggested.
God bless you!
– CHRISTINE
