“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. 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 6:4-8
We are to love God with every part of us and diligently teach our children about God’s love so they, in turn, will love Him with all their hearts, souls, and strength. Scripture tells us that parents are the authority over their children, and at classical schools, teachers enter into a partnership with parents to help support them in their efforts to teach their children.
In the classical classroom, children are beautifully taught about God in every subject. For example, they can expect to learn about God’s complex design through math and science. They will witness His providence throughout history, and will experience His beauty in poetry, literature, and art. As our children are pointed to the heart of the Father all day long, they will know God’s character and His deep love for them.
God’s love and holiness both draw us in and reveal our sin nature, and because we want our children to love God and become like Christ, we must intentionally train them in His ways.
The following are some examples of spiritual training to help foster a lifelong pursuit of God in each child:
Memorizing scripture
Learning first-time obedience
Developing good habits
Practicing prayer
Singing hymns and worship songs
Reading and listening to devotions
As they learn about God, children develop their own personal relationship with Him. They memorize His Word and learn first-time obedience not merely for the sake of knowledge and obedience alone, but so that they grow in their love for Him and desire to please Him. This is the goal of each Donum Dei teacher as they partner with parents to raise each child in the ways of the Lord.
