One afternoon I was fixing lunch while my daughters, then ages four and two, sat at the kitchen table arguing. Suddenly I heard my oldest, Abbie, angrily yelling out a familiar Bible verse. In Sunday School she had traced the words from Ephesians 4:32 onto a worksheet, which we had posted on our refrigerator and practiced together. “Kayla,” she shouted to her little sister, “the paper says, ‘Be kind and loving to each other!’” I had been feeling rather proud that my four-year-old was learning the Scriptures at such a young age. However, although she had succeeded in the memorization, she was apparently having difficulty with the application!
How Will They Learn?
I explained to Abbie that screaming at her sister was not exactly kind or loving. While she listened to my lecture, I began to feel less proud of myself. I had taught her the words, but had I shown her how to put them into practice? I remembered the times I had lost my temper with my daughters or said an unkind word to my husband in front of them.
Ephesians 5:21 says, “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.” I want to demonstrate those words, not just say them. My little girls need more from me than Scripture memorization alone. They need to see me living out what the Bible says, particularly at home. After all, where else will they learn to love if they do not experience Christlike relationships within their own family?
Living in Harmony
Abbie and Kayla are older now. They still argue, and I still get grumpy. But with all our imperfections, we are striving each day to show kindness, love, and forgiveness to one another. I do not hear Abbie screaming Bible verses at her younger sister anymore. Rather, I see her covering Kayla with a warm blanket while she naps and giving her hugs when she falls down. And sometimes, when Kayla is afraid of the dark at bedtime, I hear Abbie singing to her gently, “Jesus loves me, this I know. For the Bible tells me so.” |L
Michelle Webster lives in Okeana, Ohio with her husband Charles and their two daughters, Abigail and Kayla. She and her family are involved in the Harrison site of LifeSpring Christian Church. Michelle is the daughter of The Lookout’s executive editor, David Faust.
