Teachable Moments

A teachable moment is an unplanned opportunity that may arise with your children where you, the parent, has a chance to offer godly insight, knowledge, understanding, and the like. A teachable moment is not something that is planned for; it is often a fleeting moment that must be sensed and seized upon or it may quickly pass. Teachable moments can happen anytime and anywhere and they often pop up while least expected.  Teachable moments create great opportunities to train up your children.

Teachable moments come up all the time. You just need to keep your eyes, your ears, and your heart open to catch them. When they happen you need to be ready. And if you like, you can even recreate teachable moments by asking your children questions or making comments about the day and then following up on their comments.

There's a pattern with teachable moments:  An observation of something      processing of information       an opportunity for response/action.

Some examples may help with understanding the concept.

Are you getting the idea?

Teachable moments can be related to gifts of the Spirit - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, mercy, and self-control.  Teachable moments may relate to right versus wrong, good versus bad, and truth versus false.  They may occur in times of worry, fear, anger and bitterness, sorrow, and misunderstanding.  In other words, there may be an opportunity for a teachable moment in nearly every life situation.  The possibilities may be unlimited.

And how should you respond to teachable moments?  Respond as Jesus would - with love, understanding, grace and mercy, and all the other attributes of Jesus.

So what’s the bottom line? Teachable moments capitalized upon by parents are a great aid in training up your children in the knowledge and understanding of God. Keep your radar (eyes and ears) on all the time as training up your children is a full-time job. Work at it as if doing it unto the Lord.