A "New" Resolution or a "Finished" Resolution

You can hold me accountable.  My New Year’s resolutions have been challenged with the thought, “Just FINISH what you are already doing!”  I am inventorying all that I am already doing or have done and haven’t finished.

In the midst of my inventory I am again studying Nehemiah (if I didn’t struggle with short term memory loss I probably wouldn’t have the need to keep studying the same book.)  As I looked again at Nehemiah chapter 8, several parenting points challenge me.

1all the people assembled with a unified purpose at the square just inside the Water Gate. They asked Ezra the scribe to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses, which the LORD had given for Israel to obey.

2 … Ezra the priest brought the Book of the Law before the assembly, which included the men and women and all the children old enough to understand. 3He faced the square just inside the Water Gate from early morning until noon and read aloud to everyone who could understand. All the people listened closely to the Book of the Law.

5Ezra stood on the platform in full view of all the people. When they saw him open the book, they all rose to their feet.

6Then Ezra praised the LORD, the great God, and all the people chanted, “Amen! Amen!” as they lifted their hands. Then they bowed down and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground.

8They read from the Book of the Law of God and clearly explained the meaning of what was being read, helping the people understand each passage.

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The parenting points that resonated were: read God’s Word to my children; teach them the importance of God’s Word; and help them understand the Word of God.  Yes, these are three things we have done with our children, but here is where the New Year’s resolution comes into play.

I need to continue and finish what I have already started.  Our only one at home (even though she is 15) needs to daily hear the Word of God from her parents.  We need to continue to give value and credence to the power and holiness of God’s Word and not allow it to be so familiar (through stacks of Bibles in our home, texts and phone apps) that it robs her and me of the deep respect it deserves. And finally, I don’t have to assume she understands it just because she heard it. I must explain and provide opportunities for there to be discussion about the “words” we read.

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     My new years resolution is to make reading and discussing God’s Word with our child a priority every day of 2013.  No, this isn’t a new resolution; this is the resolution I need to finish!!  Hold me accountable.