What if I told you that God could be seen in the most ordinary things every day?
What if I told you that every day, ordinary events could teach us extraordinary eternal truths? Would you believe me?
Welcome back to season 6 of the Set Your Mind Above Podcast! My name is BJ Sipe, and I am a Christian, a preacher, a husband, and a father. In our next few moments together, we hope to learn some of the most important lessons from some of the simplest things in life. Thank you for taking this journey with me.
In this highly digital age, books have become almost a thing of the past with the younger generation. So much time is spent in front of screens that there is little to no time for anything else. Even schools in many places have abandoned textbooks and moved for the majority to laptops and e-books for their students. That is why it has always been so important to Kylie and I to read to our children. We want them to learn the importance of reading, using their imagination, and becoming cultured in so many of the timeless classics. There is a long list of books that we want to get to with the kids – from Moby Dick to the Count of Monte Cristo, from the Box Car Kids to the Redwall Series. Eventually as they all age a little more, the pinnacle of books that I want to read to my children is the Hobbit & the Lord of the Rings. All in good time, we’ll get to them all.
Earlier this week, Kylie and I were on a date in Frankfort, KY when we happened upon this cute little bookstore after dinner. Upon walking inside, we started looking to see if they had one book in particular that Kylie has been dying to read to the kids. Sure enough, they had it – so this week, we started reading to the kids what we consider to be one of the greatest children’s stories of all time: the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis. As part of the Chronicles of Narnia, this tale follows Peter, Susan, Edward, and Lucy into the wardrobe and into the fanciful world of Narnia. The Narnia collection ranks among the greatest stories ever written in our household, and we certainly appreciate the heavy Biblical themes with which Lewis writes with as well. We showed the kids the book and they jumped up and down with excitement, asking if we could read it right away. So, I had them all sit down in a row on the couch, and I sat on the chair across from them. I cracked open the book and read, “Chapter One: Lucy Looks into a Wardrobe”.
Nearly the entire time, the kids were on the edge of their seats; and by the time we had finished chapter one, they were begging for chapter two. I read the first few lines as a teaser before sending them off to bed – they’ll have to wait one more night to find out just who this Faun is that began to converse with Lucy in a snowy wood next to a lamppost. I’m honestly not sure what is more thrilling – the first time that I read the story myself as a child, or watching the excitement and wonder in their eyes as they experience it for the first time as my children.
After putting the kids to bed, I started to think about how this same sense of amazement and wonder is something we read about in the Psalms. However, the stories being told here are not fictional in nature, but rather the tales of old of all the incredible and wonderful things that God has done from the beginning of time for his people. We read in Psalm 145 vv. 1-7:
I exalt you, my God the King, and bless your name forever and ever. I will bless you every day; I will praise your name forever and ever. The LORD is great and is highly praised; his greatness is unsearchable. One generation will declare your works to the next and will proclaim your mighty acts. I will speak of your splendor and glorious majesty and your wondrous works. They will proclaim the power of your awe-inspiring acts, and I will declare your greatness. They will give a testimony of your great goodness and will joyfully sing of your righteousness.
Whether or not you read classic fictional tales to your children is of little to no consequence in the grand scheme of things. While I might jest about someone being “uncultured” who has yet to read Lord of the Rings or the Chronicles of Narnia, it has no bearing on your eternal soul. But my friends, whether or not you read the pages of Scripture to your children is of eternal consequence! The Lord is great, and highly to be praised! We have a great and powerful obligation as parents to teach the next generation of the wonderful works of our God! This instruction takes place far beyond the four walls of our meeting houses for worship – what takes place in our Bible classes should merely be supplemental to what we are actively doing inside of our homes. No book, no story, and no tale is greater or of more importance than what we can read in the pages of Scripture because they have eternal value.
We read similarly in Psalm 78:1-8 the following: “My people, hear my instruction; listen to the words from my mouth. I will declare wise sayings; I will speak mysteries from the past— things we have heard and known and that our ancestors have passed down to us. We will not hide them from their children, but will tell a future generation the praiseworthy acts of the LORD, his might, and the wondrous works he has performed. He established a testimony in Jacob and set up a law in Israel, which he commanded our ancestors to teach to their children so that a future generation— children yet to be born—might know. They were to rise and tell their children so that they might put their confidence in God and not forget God’s works, but keep his commands. Then they would not be like their ancestors, a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation whose heart was not loyal and whose spirit was not faithful to God.”
Parents, are you sharing the wonders of God with you children? Are you praying with them, and letting your lips bless the Lord for them to hear? Are you singing songs of the works of Creation, of the Exodus, the patriarchs, the kings, and of Jesus with them? Are you putting the screens down at night and opening up the good book, the Holy book, and sharing to their wonder and amazement all of the things the Lord has done for us and for his people from the very beginning? If we are not, we will have no one but ourselves to blame when the next generation does not revere the Lord our God. Teaching our children the history of God’s acts and works, from Creation to Revelation, is not merely a good suggestion or healthy alternative – it is a necessity for those who know the Lord!
My friends, don’t put this off another week. Start a holy habit if you have not already. Even if it means you start with some of your own personal favorite stories from the Old and New Testament – just start somewhere. Sit your children down, open up the Word, and watch faith begin to well up inside of the hearts of your children!
This has been season 6 episode 24 of the Set Your Mind Above Podcast – and I’m so thankful that we had this time to grow together! A new episode is dropped each Friday of the week. If you’re able to, go ahead and like and subscribe to the podcast, give us a good rating, and tune in next week. Even more important, share the spiritual truths that we learned today with someone else. And more than anything my friends, always remember the following: know that I love you, that God loves you, and may we all each and every day set our minds above.
