The Lord has been telling me ‘Teach them’ for two years now.
In Deuteronomy, it’s repeated many times. Mothers, teach your children about who God is.
The Lord is raising a generation of mothers who are nurturing and preparing the way through the seeds in her home and the next generations.
Lets explore what this means;
Lessons from Deuteronomy and the Legacy of Eunice and Lois
Scripture reminds us that teaching our children the ways of God is not optional. It is a sacred calling.
In the Old Testament, God commands His people in Deuteronomy to pass His Word from one generation to the next. In the New Testament, we see this beautifully lived out in the lives of Eunice and Lois, the mother and grandmother of Timothy.
Paul wrote in Second Timothy 1:5 that Timothy’s sincere faith first lived in his grandmother Lois and his mother Eunice.
Before Timothy became a pastor, before he traveled with Paul, before he led a church, he had a mother and grandmother who modeled faith at home. That is where it begins.
The Call from Deuteronomy
In Deuteronomy 4:9, God says:
“Take heed to yourself… and teach them to your children and your children’s children.”
Before we teach, we must watch ourselves.
Be on your guard.
Do not forget God.
Remain faithful.
Fear Him.
Worship Him.
Praise Him.
Listen to Him.
Children learn first by watching.
If we want them to love God, they must see us love Him.
Teaching Is Intentional
Deuteronomy 6:7,
Deuteronomy 11:19,
Deuteronomy 4:9,
Deuteronomy 5:31,
All instruct us to teach God’s commands diligently.
Diligently means intentionally, consistently, and repeatedly.
Talk about God at home.
Talk about Him during daily routines.
Speak of Him in the morning and at night.
Faith is not meant to be hidden inside church walls only. Faith is lived out in kitchens, car rides, sleepless nights, bedtime prayers, bottom wiping, motherhood mundane tasks, and everyday conversations.
Model What You Teach
We learn in 2 Timothy 5:3 that Eunice and Lois did not simply tell Timothy about God. They lived a faith everyone could see.
Deuteronomy and Isaiah 26:3 show us how to keep our minds, hearts, and souls stayed on God.
Love God with all your heart, soul, and strength.
Keep His commands.
Carefully observe His Word.
Follow His ways. Obey what God says.
Be willing and listen to how the Holy Spirit leads.
Do what is right.
Mothers, our children will remember
How we handled hardship.
How we prayed.
How we worshiped.
How we obeyed.
Our lives preach louder than our words.
The Promise of Faithfulness
When God’s people obeyed, He promised provision, security, rain for their land, abundance, strength, inheritance, and rest.
God chose them, and He would not leave them.
The same faithful God watches over the homes of the mothers who honor Him today.
A Worthy Calling
Romans 8 reminds us that motherhood is holy work. It is righteous living. We are predestined, called, justified, and glorified, even in our motherhood.
Motherhood is teaching little hearts to
Fear God
Love God
Obey God
Follow His ways
It is modeling a life worthy of the calling.
Eunice and Lois may never have stood on a platform like Timothy did, but their faith shaped a leader who would impact the early church. And thousands of years later, a mother’s life still shapes generations.
Never underestimate the quiet influence of being a faithful mother.
“Hear, my son, your father’s instruction And do not forsake your mother’s teaching; Indeed, they are a graceful wreath to your head And ornaments about your neck.”
Proverbs 1:8-9 NASB1995
“My son, observe the commandment of your father And do not forsake the teaching of your mother; Bind them continually on your heart; Tie them around your neck. When you walk about, they will guide you; When you sleep, they will watch over you; And when you awake, they will talk to you. For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching is light; And reproofs for discipline are the way of life”
Proverbs 6:20-23 NASB1995
“The words of King Lemuel, the oracle which his mother taught him:”
Proverbs 31:1 NASB1995
The Lord says, teach them, Mother.
How to Teach Them
Live it before them.
Love God openly before them.
Talk about Him
at home,
on the road,
when you sit down,
when you lie down,
when you rise up.
In other words, let every part of your motherhood become holy ground where little hearts learn who God is.
Your motherhood is not unseen. You are planting seeds through everyday moments.
Hearts are being shaped. God’s Word is being taught, felt, seen, and understood through you. What you nurture today will echo into generations to come.
Your motherhood affects generations.
That sounds like a weighty calling that is often overlooked. But here is the comfort. You were never meant to mother alone.
This does not mean you must be perfect. Scripture reminds us:
“For all of us have become like one who is unclean,
And all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment;
And all of us wither like a leaf,
And our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.”
Isaiah 64:6 NASB1995
Our perfection could never sustain this calling. Instead, motherhood humbles us. It teaches us dependence, moment by moment, on God through the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit directs us and gives us the strength we need. Our part is simpler than we think.
Obey, be willing, and show up. And when we fail, we return quickly to our Father, receiving His grace and forgiving ourselves as He forgives us.
God does not need flawless performance. He desires a willing heart that says, I messed up. Please forgive me. Shape me. Use me. And through His mercy, He refines us like silver.
Because what lives in you today may shape generations tomorrow.
Shalom,
Following God’s Ways,
Natasha Chetty.
