Wait Until Later Christians

Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these Words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thy heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.  Deuteronomy, Chapter 6, verses 4-7.

God wants us not only to love Him with all our heart, all our soul and all our might; but He wants us to raise our children with this same love of Him.  I have heard all too many people say that they aren’t raising their children with any religious education because they are letting their children decide for themselves when they’re older.
Since I’m an educator, I’m in the position of hearing lots of conversations about what is happening to the youth of today and concerns for their well-being.  If the parents don’t set the foundation for their child’s religious beliefs when they are young, how will the child learn to turn to God when they are faced with issues like drinking, smoking, drugs, sexual involvement, etc?
Children learn by their parent’s example and those around them.  If they don’t see the people around them making God a priority in their lives, then the example they follow may be of peers who say that doing a little “Meth,” “Ecstasy” or other drug will help them unwind and get more in touch with themselves.  I’ve watched all too many talk shows where parents are tearfully expressing their regrets about their child who was lost to an overdose.
Maybe as Wait Until Later Christians, we are doing a huge disservice to our children by waiting until they are old enough to make their own choices about God.  Maybe we need to take an active role in our children’s religious education now!

Here is a related passage:

*Therefore shall ye lay up these My Words in your heart and in your soul, and bind them for a sign upon your hand, that they may be as frontlets between your eyes. And ye shall teach them your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.  Deuteronomy, Chapter 11, verses 18-19.

Since this is an example of the positive influence God has made on my walk with Christ, this may not reflect the whole meaning of the Bible verses.