Seeing this advertisement made me stop and think for a bit. Having life insurance for your family is not a bad idea, but money only goes so far. If anything happened to you, they would be taken care of financially, but is that all you're giving to your children?
For some people that's more than enough. If they can give their children a good "cushion" should anything happened to them then they're doing alright. However, I think that there's a whole lot more that we can be doing for our children besides life insurance. Let me explain.
The first question we have to ask ourselves as parents is, "Am I teaching my children the ways of the Lord according to His Word?" "Do they see Him in me and His work through my life?"
Raising children is a privilege and huge responsibility, that's for sure (especially in this world today), but I'm reminded of what the Lord commanded for His people to do,
1. "Now this is the commandment, and these are the statutes and judgments which the LORD your God has commanded to teach you that you may observe them in the land which you are crossing over to possess,
2. that you may fear the LORD your God, to keep all His statutes and His commandments which I command you, you and your son and your grandson, all the days of your life, and that your days may be prolonged.
3. Therefore, hear O Israel, and be careful to observe it, that it may be well with you, and that you may multiply greatly as the LORD God of your fathers has promised you - 'a land flowing with milk and honey'.
4. "Hear O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one!
5. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.
6. And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart.
- Deuteronomy 6:1-6
Notice how many times the Lord mentions His commandments, statutes, and judgments in these few verses. Also, see that the purpose of these are that we would fear the Lord and keep His commandments. The LORD is one and they were to love Him with all their heart, soul, and strength. Sound familiar? Jesus said this to the Pharisees in Matthew 22:37. We know that we are to do the same, yet notice what the Lord continues to say,
"You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up."
- Deuteronomy 6:7
What are we to teach our children? His commandments. And we are to teach them diligently, the Lord says. The word for teach them diligently is the Hebrew shanan which means 'intensively to pierce'; prick, sharpen.' Think of it, we are to pierce, or prick our children's ears and hearts with the commandments of Yahweh! To sharpen them with His Law. Notice that it's not just a quick prayer when they head out the door, or a quaint bible story before they go to bed. No, it should be throughout the entire day...when we sit, walk, lie down and wake up together.
This doesn't mean that we should constantly be shoving the Law of God down their throats, pointing out every thing they do in which they break the commandment, thereby causing them to disdain His Word. Certainly not, for if we are looking unto our Savior and living for Him according to His Torah/Law, then His grace in our lives (divine influence upon the heart with a reflection through the life) will almost effortlessly come out in our relationship with our children. We must make a constant effort to teach them the Ways of Yahweh, in His entire word. If we are walking in Torah, obeying the voice of the Lord, and teaching our children how to hear His voice, then they will very early on begin to hear Him. In their lives they will know Him intimately and walk on their own with the Spirit in His Torah.
I confess that I have rarely done a great job at teaching my children. In fact, I feel like I hardly ever get it right! And the enemy of our souls is right there agreeing with me. We have to remember, though, that we are NOT perfect and we will mess up from time to time. Don't allow the enemy or your sinful nature to bring about condemnation. If you're really trying to follow the ways of the living God and His Word and teaching them to your children then just trust Him to accomplish the work in their lives. YOU just need to be obedient to Him with your own life! He will speak to your children through that!
A Torah life is one that exalts the Lord of heaven and earth and seeks to know Him more and to be obedient to Him in all that we do. It is not bondage, as some say, but true liberty. The truth shall make you free indeed! Messiah said this to those who did not fully understand the purity of God's whole word. Yeshua (Jesus) also said,
"Sanctify them by Your truth, Your Word is truth."
- John 17:17
When we look at Psalm 119 we read,
"Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and Your Law is truth."
- Psalm 119:142
Here specifically we see that God's Law is truth. We know that it is His instruction, His standard, and His direction for us. The word Torah actually has the meaning of "a prescribed grazing". His Law is food for us, much like Jesus said in Matthew 4 quoting....well Himself from Deuteronomy 8:3, saying,
"It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'"
- Matthew 4:4
What 'word' was He speaking of? The entire Word of God including the foundation - the Torah!
If we teach our children about who the Lord is and train them up in obeying His Commandments, then we are giving them everything they need for life and godliness. His Torah is His standard by which He judges all men. Our children were sinners from birth and they need to be born again in Messiah Yeshua, believing that He is the only way, truth, and life and that there is no other way to the Father except through Him! The Law of God teaches them this and will lead them to a point where they must either except Him as Savior or reject Him. They are not saved just because they are born into a family that follows Messiah. They must make the decision to follow Him on their own.
We CANNOT make the decision for them, no matter how badly we want to. We cannot force our will upon them anymore than our Father WILL NOT force His will upon us. But like He does with us, so we must do with our children....love them by being patient with them, disciplining them when they disobey, and teaching them along the way to be obedient to Yahweh, because His love for them is far greater than ours.
So life insurance, as best we can provide in our limited abilities, can be money related (though only temporary), but at best is simply living in obedience to God, training our children up in Torah, in the way they should go, and as they grow they will not depart from it. This will hold true if WE hold true to His Word and our children will see that in our lives. They will see that no matter how much we love and care for them, their heavenly Father cares much more.
We must give them more....much more than money. We have to offer up our lives as living sacrifices to God, praying that our testimony and our parenting will result in our children's obedience to Him. Though they may not choose Him, that will be between them and Him in the end. But we must be faithful and they must be warned that only HE can provide a true assurance of life eternal....a real life insurance.
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