by Jim Weidmann and Marianne Hering, Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 2004
ISBN# 1-58997-120-5
a book review by Cynthia Saladin
I feel a very heavy responsibility to teach my children to know God. It’s more than just teaching them about God, more than just memorizing scriptures to recite, more than going to church on Sabbath. I want my children to know God, to have a personal relationship with Him. I cannot imagine living for eternity in God’s kingdom without my children. But like anything worth having in this life, it is a goal that requires diligence and perseverance. Thank goodness, God gave us the method to follow if we want our children to have a relationship with Him. It’s Deuteronomy 6:7: “Impress [God’s commandments] on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.”
That’s what The Power of Teachable Moments is all about - the everyday experiences which are natural springboards into discussions about God, about how He would desire we conduct ourselves, and our responsibilities as a family of believers. Nothing in the book is earth-shattering. There’s no quick fix. There’s no easy shortcut. You probably already know your children are going to need constant instruction. This book will aid that process in several ways.
First, it encourages you to see the teachable moments. In our busy lives, it is all too easy to tell the children to go play while you get something important done. It’s more convenient to have them out from underfoot while you’re trying to get supper on the table. There’s less stress if they are playing in their room or watching cartoons while you clean up the house. But not involving your children in the day-to-day routine eliminates the minute opportunities for casual discussions which can have eternal consequences.
Second, the book gives lots of examples of what has happened in the authors’ homes, as well as other antidotes they’ve gathered to make their points. Some of them you could never see yourself doing - such as purchasing a cow tongue - to place in your child’s hand to emphasize the power of the strongest muscle in the body, the tongue. Still, the examples prime the pump to get your creative juices flowing as you think of ways you might express a truth of God to your child. These object lessons are invaluable! Talking, by itself, has no where near the same impact as seeing and hearing and feeling all at the same time.
Third, the authors have given some reminders of how best to teach. For instance, questions are better than answers. Asking questions of your children engages their thinking processes and is much more productive. Included in the book are general questions that are good conversation starters, i.e. “What was special about this school day that made it different from all the others?” Also, they have 112 spiritual truths, broken down into developmental age groups, in the age appropriate terminology. For example, for ages 0-4, a child should be able to grasp “God exists.” By ages 5 -6, children can grasp “God is everywhere, He can do anything, and He knows everything.” These truths are enumerated in increasingly more complex language and extend through age 18. Of course, these are only guidelines. They are not set in stone for each child individually, nor are they intended to be an exhaustive list. Nevertheless, they are a good stepping stone for concept development.
There are many nuggets in this book. Some of the life experiences they describe help enormously; the reader easily identifies with the situations. Some of their points resonate deeply. This one did: “Many ‘churched’ kids walk away from biblical truths because, while they know all the stories, they have not ‘discovered’ life-changing truth.” We want to help our children know God, not just in their heads, but in their hearts.
Our children are growing up so quickly! We have a limited time, a limited window of opportunity, to show them who God really is. Make a special effort today to reach your children. And then, look for opportunities again tomorrow.