Kids Say the Truest Things

Scripture — Isaiah 59:21 (NRSV)

And as for me, this is my covenant with them, says the LORD: my spirit that is upon you, and my words that I have put in your mouth, shall not depart out of your mouth, or out of the mouths of your children, or out of the mouths of your children’s children, says the LORD, from now on and forever.

Devotion

Okay, I’m going to date myself here by confessing that one of my favorite television shows when I was a young boy was Kids Say the Darndest Things, hosted by Art Linkletter. This show ran from 1959 through 1967. It featured Art Linkletter, one of the most popular and pleasant television personalities of his day. The main activity of the show involved Linkletter interviewing children, asking questions about all sorts of things, like “What would you do if you were president?” or “If you could be any animal, what would it be?” Inevitably, some of the children Linkletter interviewed would say “the darndest things.” Their recorded clips were used on the TV show. (Of course, you can find many of these clips today on YouTube.)

Kids still do say the darndest things and sometimes also the truest things. I remember when my daughter, Kara, was about four years old. I was working in the front yard when our neighbor from across the street came over to talk. As we conversed, Kara came out of the house, walked right up to the neighbor, and said happily, “You are old!” Yikes! I was thankful that he responded graciously, saying, “You’re right. I am old.” In reality, he was in his seventies and had the wrinkles and white hair to prove it. I expect that’s why he looked old to Kara. Of course, I soon had a conversation with her about how being kind to people sometimes means not saying things that are true about them.

Though we want our children and grandchildren to know when to speak and when to be silent, we also want them to know and speak the truth. Whether or not they say the darndest things, we want them to say the truest things.

Isaiah 59:21 speaks to this desire. The Lord, speaking about the Jewish people who repent from their transgression (59:20), says, “And as for me, this is my covenant with them, says the LORD: my spirit that is upon you, and my words that I have put in your mouth, shall not depart out of your mouth, or out of the mouths of your children, or out of the mouths of your children’s children, says the LORD, from now on and forever.” The Lord promises that the very words of God will be spoken by the children of the faithful, and even by their grandchildren. Talk about saying the truest things!

This passage from Isaiah reminds me of how important it is to teach our children the truths of God. This means we need to help them know the Bible. Teaching the Bible to children happens in a variety of ways. Churches often sponsor children’s programs or Sunday school classes that feature scriptural content. There are lots of excellent video resources that bring to life biblical stories. But some of the most effective teaching of children happens through relationships. Parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, family friends, and others are invaluable sources of biblical instruction.

In my case, for example, though I grew up in a strong Sunday School program, I learned so much about Scripture from my grandparents on my mother’s side. They often talked with me about the Bible. They taught me not only by what they said but also by how they lived. For example, I grew up in a predominantly White city with a history of racism against Black people. My grandparents would talk about how our faith calls us to love all people equally, regardless of their skin color. But they did more than talk. My grandmother, the lay leader of the high school ministry in her White church, got to know the pastor of a Black church in south Los Angeles. This pastor and my grandmother arranged opportunities for his Black students and her White students to spend time together, studying the Bible, praying, playing various sports, sharing meals, and so on. My grandmother would talk about these experiences with joy. I could see how the truths of Scripture made such a difference to her.

I have no doubt that who I am today reflects the incarnational instruction I received from my grandparents and many others when I was a boy. Now my challenge is to be for younger people what my grandparents were for me: teachers of God’s truths who live as well as speak them.

Find all Life for Leaders devotions here. Explore what the Bible has to say about work at the unique website of our partners, the Theology of Work Project. Reflection on today’s Life for Leaders theme can be found here: God’s Words on the Lips of Children.