Godly parents want their children to obey God’s commandments. They would be extremely troubled if their child was worshipping a graven image, cursing, struggling with immorality, consistently lying, or disobeying any of the other commandments. The reason they would be concerned is disobedience to God would eventually bring His displeasure and chastisement to their child’s life, and would rob them of His full blessings. In our text verse the Lord is asked to identify the great commandment in the law. It seems the idea the lawyer has in mind in questioning Jesus is which commandment is most important, and which should be focused on first. Jesus’ response is not what many might have expected. He declared the first and great commandment is to love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, soul and mind! Parents that applies to your children! We are concerned that our children ought not steal, curse, lie, commit idolatry and rightfully so, but are you concerned about their love being right towards God? Does it really bother you that they love sports more than God? music more than God? television more than God? whatever else more than God? If lying, stealing, immorality, idolatry is a concern, how much more should your child’s misguided love be? I am convinced that godly parents have “missed the boat” by ignoring the first and great commandment in their parenting efforts. It is critical that parents make every effort to encourage and help their children obey this command. How can a parent do this?

1. Make much of Jesus to your child. Praise and brag on Him. Talk much of His charms.
2. Know your child. If anything is competing for their love toward God, keep it out of their life.
3. Set a godly example by loving the Lord with all your heart, soul, and mind.
4. Teach your child to be a student of the Word of God. The Word of God is a “Him” book. The more you know of His Word the more you will know of Him, and the more you know of Him the more you will love Him.