Why We Should Be Setting an Example of Bible Reading for Our Children

As a teen and young adult, I read my Bible cover-to-cover each year for several years in a row. I’ve always valued the solid foundation that Bible reading gave to my faith. As a mom, I still recognize the importance of spending time in God’s Word every day—but it’s much harder to make it happen. Here, Alexandria Robinson shares an important reminder about why we should be setting an example of Bible reading for our children.

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Mothers are, hands down, the world’s busiest people. Running a home, caring for children, and loving a husband is more than a full-time job. But are you making time for the most important thing?

Spending time with Jesus in His Word ought to be at the top of our to-do lists. But with so many things competing for our attention, often Bible reading time gets put on the back burner, especially on those long and difficult days. You know, when you wake up late and the whole routine is thrown into chaos. Women are the heart of their homes and if Mama is stressed, the whole house is a mess.

How to Model a Habit of Bible Reading for Our Children

As women, we set the tone for the home. Without being rooted in Christ, our souls—and the household—will be thrown about this way and that way by the ever-changing tides of life. Mothers can set a beautiful example of faithfulness by having their own Bible reading time.

As a matter of principle, adults should display the qualities they want to see in the children in their care. For example, I’m not a mother myself, but I work with a lot of children at church and babysitting. I choose not to yell at children as a means of curbing behavior. I don’t want them to think yelling will get them what they want. Instead, I set an example by speaking clearly, forcefully, and calmly, I explain my position in an age-appropriate manner, and I redirect the child in the way I want them to go.

Similarly, I have a friend who is doing a phenomenal job raising Christ-centered children. When I put her kids to bed, their bedtime story is always a kids’ Bible story of their choosing. After the kids go down, I stay downstairs and do my own Bible reading time. When the three- or five-year-old inevitably gets out of bed because they’re suddenly starving, dehydrated, and have to go potty one more time, they’ll see me spending time with Jesus. This shows them that being with God is an important part of life and it is something they should work to cultivate throughout their lives.

Setting an Example of Bible Reading for Our Children (like this mom reading her Bible while drinking her coffee)

How to Get More Out of Your Bible Reading Time

Setting this tone while children are young can do wonders as they grow up. Teens and young adults face new challenges to their faith. The questions they ask begin to change and the need for approval by their peers takes center stage. Kids at this age are no longer paying attention to what Mom is doing. Instead, they may want to do the exact opposite. Keeping the spark for Jesus alive in their hearts requires a new plan of action. We have to start answering their questions about the Bible’s relevance today and a great tool for that is my new book, A Catholic Millennial’s Guide to the Bible.

In A Catholic Millennial’s Guide to the Bible, I answer some of the most common questions about the Church and the Scriptures. My book explains how the Bible is relevant to our lives today because the stories are timeless. The life lessons to be learned throughout the Bible can help us at every stage of life, in every time of life.

A Catholic Millennial’s Guide to the Bible also shares the Church’s Scriptural teachings throughout history, particularly during the Protestant Reformation. This was a challenging time in Christendom. However, the Church continued to endure, knowing that its teachings were firmly rooted in the Word of God.

The final section of A Catholic Millennial’s Guide to the Bible shares the assembly of the Bible. Although we call the Bible “The Good Book,” it is more of a library, a collection of books, that were brought together from different authors, genres, and periods of time. This is a point I try to drive home in my Bible study series as well as in A Catholic Millennial’s Guide to the Bible.

God is pouring into the hearts of His children at every stage of our lives. In the same way, we must pour a love for Jesus into the hearts of young people. Although the means may change throughout their lives, the message is the same: “You are a beloved child of the King, read his love notes to you.”

Helping the next generation cultivate a personal relationship with the Lord is one of the most rewarding experiences of our lives. We do this through being mindful of what they need at each new stage of development and providing them with the tools they need for success. For those with teenage and young adult children, A Catholic Millennial’s Guide to the Bible is one such tool.

What helps you prioritize Bible reading as a busy mom? How do you encourage your children to read their Bibles too?

Additional reading from Christian authors:

Alexandria Robinson is the author of the new book, A Catholic Millennial’s Guide to the Bible. In it, she explains how to the Word of God is relevant to our lives in the modern day, the Church’s relationship with Scripture throughout history, and how the Bible came to be. It is written by and for young Catholic laity to encourage them on their long journey home to our Heavenly Father. It will make a great Lenten read or Easter gift. For more on Alexandria, check out her blog.