Verses six through nine of todayıs Scripture passage give a wonderful challenge to families as to their use of the Bible. In other words, the Word of God should be taught at all times!
Hopefully by now you have evidence of how important family devotions can be in your home. At the same time, it seems clear in this passage that thereıs more here than simply a Weekly devotion time. That can only be a part of the story here. In fact, God is commanding us to make every part of our lives a family devotion an opportunity to teach and remember the eternal elements in the mundane, day-to-day things of life
What are some of the routine things that your family does every day as a regular part of life? No matter how mundane they might sound, these are all WONDERFUL opportunities to share the Word of Truth to one another really putting Deuteronomy 6 into practice! As you walk through your day, look for some practical ways to use regular family activities to share truths of the Bible.
Here are three key components with which to build your ³devotions in motion²:
1. Action: Most kids talk more when they are ³doing². Have you ever noticed that kids open up at the times when you might least expect it? We tend to be more relaxed when we are working on other things, and everyday activities can be great disguises for discussion starters!
2. Repetition: There is something about repetition that makes things last. Experts say that if you do something for twenty-one days straight it becomes a habit. How about making an existing habit, like brushing your hair in the morning, into a key repetitious event that can help you instill an important principle? The fact of the matter is that repetition is really the only way to make something last in these fleeting minds of ours, albeit with the help of our final key component:
3. Visual Value: Any memory expert can tell you that the foundation of any memorization tool is capturing the power of association. At some point in your life, visual events begin to associate themselves with the activities, thoughts, or things surrounding those events, and there comes a point where you cannot remember one without the other.
As we utilize activities to get our families talking about the Lord, associate the things of God with the mundane things of life, and repeat these small but important lessons over and over again, we inevitably paint an indelible picture in the minds of our children and more importantly, in their hearts.