“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” (Deuteronomy 6:4-9, ESV)
We have all heard the emphasis on the necessity to love the Lord with all of our heart, soul, and might. It is the core of what is necessary to be a child of God. Of equal importance, however, is the preparation of that love in the next generation. That will only be brought forth by one means: diligent work. Passive mentions of God and occasional (or even regular) trips to worship services will not be enough to develop a deep love for God in our children. He must be present in our lives from sunrise to sunset, in everything that we do, everywhere we go. If we are diligent in teaching God and his ways to our children, there is a strong likelihood they will grow to have the love for God that will keep them faithful servants the rest of their lives. If we do not, we will force them to try to figure it out for themselves in years to come, and many will not succeed. Do you love the Lord enough to teach him and his ways diligently to your children?