Consider this a corollary to my last post on appropriate consequences, as I often use Scripture memorization to help reinforce what the Bible says about specific actions.

For example, a major issue we’ve had with my daughter has to do with the way she speaks to people. Sometimes she is intentionally rude, other times she speaks impulsively, and her hurtful remarks appear to be unintentional.

For homeschool each week, the children have a memory verse. They copy it out twice each day of the school week, and we define new words. My oldest son has a verse that corresponds to his Apologetics work. For my daughter, I have been handpicking verses for her that correlate with the tongue, sound speech and our words.

The first week we began correlating verses to specific behaviors, we learned:

Colossians 4:6
Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person.

This past week, we studied:

Job 27:4
My lips certainly will not speak unjustly, nor will my tongue mutter deceit.

Tonight, during our family devotional and prayer time; after we went around and did our Gratitude Journals (I’ve made it an oral thing, so my youngest can participate – and Dad, who isn’t at homeschool with us all the time!); my daughter began spontaneously spouting memory verses. I asked her what “unjust, “ “mutter,” and “deceit” were and she was able to tell me!

In Deuteronomy 6:7, the Bible says:

You shall teach them diligently to your sons 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 up.

Proverbs 22:6 states:

Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it.

I’m thankful that the verses being instilled in my children’s hearts are taking root! I have tried very hard in my parenting, not to use the phrase, “Because I said so!” as this teaches them to obey me (as a human), and do so only when I am there. I have tried to let God speak to them through His word, so that they know what He expects of them; and that they will know that even if I am not there, He is, and sees their behavior, both positive and negative.

Scripture memorization is yet another powerful tool parents can use to help their children regulate their own behavior. As Christian parents, our greatest hope is that our children grow up to have a relationship with God that is independent of our own, and that their behavior would be guided by His word – that they would develop the requisite self-control needed to be pleasing in His sight.

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