When I tiptoed downstairs in the morning, I’d find my dad in the family room with his Bible open on his lap. Every time I picked up my mom’s old NIV Study Bible, it was a little more wrecked than the time before. I found a little more ink on the pages and a few more pieces of tape trying desperately to hold together the worn binding.
When life was tough, my parents reasoned from the Bible and prayed together. They didn’t do those things to be seen. They did them because they loved the Lord. In a nutshell, my parents loved to spend time with God, and that spoke volumes to me. By far, that was the most important thing my parents did for me.
I had the rock-solid assurance that my parents believed and practiced what they preached. Because they began every day with God’s Word, I knew they viewed it as trustworthy. Because they spent time alone with God each morning to pray for themselves and for their kids, I knew they believed that God was really there and really listening. I saw that their faith was not only formal and public but also intimate and private.
The Value of an Example
My parents taught me that nothing can take the place of simply living as a Christian in view of my children. No amount of formal theological training, church attendance, or family devotions will make up for a general apathy about spiritual things. I can catechize my children all day and every day, but if I have no joy and no delight in the Lord, and if I’m not living out my faith, my children will see it and know it.
My parents did so many good things for me. But the most important thing my parents did was simply live as Christians. I don’t think anything shaped or challenged me more than that.
