The Most Important Thing
God Made, Home Grown by Tiana
*If I teach my children to speak Spanish, French, Latin, Greek, and Japanese, but do not teach them to love God, I have nothing.
*If they know how to tell time and have their times tables memorized, but do not know the God of time and all eternity, it profits me nothing.
*If I teach them all about psychology, sociology, anthropology, and philosophy, but they do not love the LORD their God with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength, I have gained nothing.
*If they are well versed in William Shakespeare, Emily Dickinson, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Edgar Alan Poe, but do not delight in the Law of the LORD, their learning has come to nothing.
*If they know about George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, and Abraham Lincoln, but do not know Jesus Christ as their Savior and LORD, their knowledge is meaningless.
*If they are champions at spelling bees, get perfect scores on their SATs, and get accepted into the best universities, but reject their Creator, I have accomplished nothing.
*If they are successful beyond my wildest dreams, if they have huge paychecks, giant houses, and lavish lifestyles; If they gain the whole world, and yet lose their souls, I am an utter failure.
So now I see that reading, writing, and arithmetic are important, literature, languages, and history are all valuable, science and social studies have their place,
But if I my children do not become fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ, I have merely educated them.
*I must do more than educate them...I must disciple them.
I must teach them to love the LORD.
"Master, which is the great commandment in the law?"
Jesus said to him, "'THOU SHALT LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL THY HEART, AND WITH ALL THY SOUL, AND WITH ALL THY MIND.'
This is the first and great commandment.
The second is like unto it,
'YOU SHALT LOVE THY NEIGHBOR AS THYSELF.'
On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."
Matthew 22:36-40