Teaching Our Children

WHOEVER TRUSTS IN THE LORD SHALL BE SAFE. Proverbs 29.25

After the United States was attacked by terrorists on September 11, 2001, President Bush called on Congress to create a Department for Homeland Security. The job of this agency was to do everything possible to keep its citizens safe.

Do you have an “internal security plan” for your household to keep others from endangering you and your children? Our world is full of easy access to harmful outside forces. You and your family are constantly bombarded by every kind of evil in the name of news, information and entertainment! How do you protect yourself and your family, especially the vulnerable children?

Apart from the evil influences affecting your character, today’s mass media is simply killing your precious time and stopping you from doing things useful and profitable. Lately, I heard the lament of some parents about how their brilliant boys who passed their school finals with all distinctions, did very badly in their college examinations. The reason, ‘the English Football League matches’ aired for the foolish world to sit up and watch day or night! Twenty-two white burly guys chasing after a ball and scoring a few goals! They make mega bucks while the rest of the world is becoming poorer in health and wealth! Parents should discipline themselves to shut their TVs off and take away their children’s hand phones while studying. Discipline them to concentrate on their studies!

Here are some suggestions for your spiritual safety and that of your children which I gathered some time ago:

1. Take charge of the media. Instead of allowing makers of TV programmes and movies to dictate what you watch and hear, use biblical guidelines to evaluate the language and morality of what you and your children see and listen to.

2. Check out their friends. The standards of your children's friends may not match yours. Make your home a haven where their friends are welcome. It'll help you get to know them.

3. Build shields. By teaching your children biblical principles and encouraging their faith, you'll help them to be discerning and to build inner shields that will protect them from the common dangers they face today.

Dear Christian parent, you have to take control of your life and that of your family, especially that of your growing children. ‘The parents know best’ is certainly true when your family is still young. You make the rules and let your children obey them. When children are still too young to know what is good or bad for them, it is only foolish to sit and discuss terms with them! The fundamental and basic rules for families are the same anywhere in the world. You won’t go very wrong in enforcing them in your household. I heard of a young lad who was busy negotiating with his parents about his future! What are parents for anyway? To take orders from kids? No! It is to train up a child in the way he should go so that he will not depart from it when old (Prov 22.6). May the Lord help you this new year and always.

Pray and practise with me: Dear Lord, when the popular trend today is not to discipline children at all so that they will not be ‘inhibited in life’, help me to discipline myself and my children according to the precepts of Your unchanging Word for the safety of our own souls. Amen.