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I have lived long enough to know that talk is cheap. From politicians to preachers, many words can flow from the mouth without ever resulting in meaningful action. My mom taught me early on that actions speak louder than words. So we are spending a few days considering the premier parenting passage in Scripture. This passage is a clarion call for parents to take action.

Deuteronomy 6:4-9
Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

The Shema (from the Hebrew word “hear”) is a profession of action. Deuteronomy 6:5 gives four action steps. Let me offer an assessment. How are you doing in these four areas?

Love the Lord your God. Love is not a fuzzy feeling. It’s an emotion demonstrated by action. For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son. What sacrifices are you making for your family?

All your heart. Heart refers to the center of a person’s thinking and emotions. What you think becomes what you do. Are you exhibiting your love for God by what you put into your mind through television, computer screen, phone, and reading material?

All your soul. Soul refers to your entire being. Do you show your family how much you love God through your words, actions, and attitudes?

All your might. Do you display for your family how much you love God by how and where you use your resources, time, and giftedness for him? Do you give God the best of your energy…or is that reserved for another god?

Father, remind us that talk is cheap. Help us love you and demonstrate our love for you with our whole person. In Jesus’ name. Amen.