Soul Shaping Moment 2- Bible

Jesus is the reason I live and breath. I cannot think of anything I desire more for my children than a close friendship with Him--for them to truly KNOW Him, as a friend--a companion. So morning welcomes Him into our day right after breakfast. I plop into my big comfy chair where my feet don’t touch the ground—grab my Bible and call for the kids. One at a time they find their spots in the den.

The toddler sits on her blanket with a few toys (after she’s been trained. Blog post on blanket training in the que). The bigger kids sprawl all over the couch. Many times I must prod an especially sleepy one to sit up and listen because the snoring is a bit disrupting.

Then I read.

Sometimes I read a chapter from Proverbs that coincides with the day of the month, or I read from Psalms. We read different books of the Bible throughout the year depending on…my mood? After I read, each of the kids tells me what "stuck out" the most to him/her. Sometimes this takes a bit of re-reading, but not often. They learned early on to listen when I added the “proof of listening” comments at the end.

The three-year-old usually just repeats someone else’s answer, which is fine with me. 

He is learning.

My goal is that when my kids grow up and leave our house, they will feel like they forgot to put their pants on, if they leave without spending a quiet moment in the Word. 

Most people are distracted and inattentive to the needs of others, much less the voice of God, so I see teaching this habit as an important part of mothering. It is not convenient in any way. A long "to do" list calls my name each morning beckoning me to cross things off as finished, but everything can wait. 


Shaping my kids' souls trumps any errand or chore...Walking them through the habit of "being still" on purpose, yet awake and attentive, before the day's busyness starts, is a high priority for me. I could simply set a good example and hope that as adults they follow it, but I would not treat math, science or reading that way, so why would I leave spiritual disciplines to chance? 


So after breakfast, the kids and I pile in the den and open the Word. I ask God to give them wise hearts and I do my part to make them wisdom seekers through this morning habit.

Soul Shaping Challenge:  Take time with your kids to teach them how to feed and nourish their souls. It does not matter if you do this in the morning, afternoon or before bed, just put it on the schedule. This discipline teaches the kids the character quality of attentiveness. I do it first, so that nothing pushes it out of the schedule. Psalm 5:3, “In the morning, Oh Lord, you will hear my voice; in the morning I will order my prayer to you and eagerly watch.”