What's Your Favorite Word, Nana?

Last week I read to my grandkids about Solomon, the wisest man ever on earth (click here to read), and I explained to Carson and Chloe that we too, can have wisdom if we truly want it and we ask God for it.  I read to them how people traveled far and wide in order to come and see this man who had wisdom (and wealth) like none other.  Then, this week, we read about the downfall of Solomon.

"In spite of all Solomon's wisdom, he did some very foolish and bad things.  That brought about his downfall.  Solomon married many heathen women.  He had seven hundred wives, many of whom were the daughters of heathen kings," I read (from The Child's Story Bible by Catherine Vos).  Chloe's eyes were huge as she asked, "Seven hundred wives???  Isn't that bad?"

Yes, it is very bad; seven hundred wives and many of them were ungodly women, I explained.  "What does downfall mean, Nana?" Carson asked.  Downfall is when someone is at the top of their game and then crashes, I told him.  It's when things are going so well for someone and he gets too confident in himself instead of realizing he is only human and he can fall.  We need to understand this story of Solomon; we need to understand that if the wisest man on earth can fall this far from the truth of God and fail as miserably as he did, it can happen to any of us.

"God knew he would do this, didn't He?" Carson asked.  Yes, He did, I said.  Remember when his father David sinned and God told him his family would suffer dearly for his sins?  We don't think about that when we sin; we don't stop and think that our sins will be passed down to our children and their children.  Remember how I've told you your Nana did not know all this when your dad was born?  Remember how I've told you I was sinning against God when I thought it was the job of the church to teach my children the Bible?  Even though I did not know I was sinning, I was sinning.  Remember how I've told you how I used to believe spanking was the right thing to do because it was what I was taught, but after I got to know Jesus, I realized He would never, ever hit anyone, especially a little child, because children are people just like adults?  There are so many things we do, that we don't even stop to think about and we don't ask Jesus Himself if it is right or wrong, I told him.  If I am still learning what I am doing wrong in my 50's, can you imagine how much more I will have learned by the time I am in my 60's?

As we continued with the story of Solomon, we learned about Jeroboam and Rehoboam and how hard it was for God-fearing people to live under the rule of these two bad kings.  When Jeroboam decided to trick them into worshipping two golden calves he made for them to keep them from going to the temple to worship God, 6 yr. old Chloe said, "Sounds like Aaron," and I could only look at her with amazement.  Even when I think this is way over her head, this little girl is taking it all in.

The conversation continued as we learned about how those who feared God the way they were supposed to fear Him decided they must get away from Jeroboam.  They knew, because they had been taught the truth, they could not stay under his rule.  They had to pack up their families even at the risk of losing their lives and get away from all the ungodliness surrounding them.  This is why moms, dads, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and all who believe in God need to pass on these truths, I told them.  This is why your Nana is trying so hard to get others to see the need to stop doing all the things that are keeping them too busy to sit and teach children as I'm teaching you.  We might be under ungodly leaders even in the church, and we need to know the truth so we will know if they are teaching God's truth or not.

"In Solomon's old age his heathen wives turned away his heart from the true God and made him serve idols," I read to them.  Do you think that is true? I asked.  Do you think it is true that his wives were responsible for turning him against God?  Carson looked at me and shook his head and said.  "He didn't have to listen to them.  He should have listened to God."

That's true.  We are all responsible for our own choices just as Adam and Eve were when offered the forbidden fruit.  And this is another reason why it is so important that we not marry anyone who does not believe in God our Father; that's why we need to be so careful when we choose a spouse because if we marry someone who does not want to live in obedience to God, married life will be extremely difficult, I explained.

What I know for sure today is that when God gave us clear instructions about passing His truths down to the next generation, He knew if we obeyed them, our lives would be so enriched, so fulfilled, so purposeful, so contented and so full of consistent peace and joy that our desires would be HIS desires for us and ... because in teaching others His truths, He would bestow upon us more wisdom.  What else I know for sure today is that we can pray and beg and plead for wisdom ... and it won't show up until we are giving away what He has already given us.  The more of Him I share with others, the less desire I have to do anything else.

After reading about Solomon, and as I was driving Chloe to school, she asked,  "Nana, what's your favorite word?"  Admittedly, I think way too hard too often, as I did that day.  It's not supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, I told her.  I kept thinking and finally said, Peace.  My favorite word is peace.  And from the back seat I hear, "Don't you think it should start with the letter J, Nana?  Juh, juh, juh ... J?"  So I said, you mean JOY?  And she responded firmly, "G or J or H, Nana.  Doesn't your favorite word begin with G or J or H?"  

Oh, it takes a child to humble us.  It takes a child to lead us and teach us.  This 6 yr. old little girl understands that God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit should be our favorite words in the whole world ... and I am reminded once again how we have such small expectations of children.  Instead of teaching them the truth which will save them when they face the evil and corruptness in the world, we shield and protect them from it, thinking we will tell them when they're old enough to handle it ... and by that time, they've lost the interest and eagerness to know the truth because they're too busy with everything else they've got going on ... and they've already been influenced by the other voices in their lives.

What are you doing today that is more important than pouring into lives of children of all ages who desperately need to know the truth of Jesus Christ?