The devil's on a rampage! Back and forth and to and fro, he slithers throughout the world seeking to devour. Let us not be so naïve as to miss this obvious concern and threat. There is an enemy who's aim is to destroy and there's a target on our children's backs.
"Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil
prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour."
1 Peter 5:8
Lately, I've found myself engaged in many conversations about the wholesomeness of our children who quickly become our young adults. These conversations typically revolve around either how to preserve innocence or what to do once it's been lost. They also revolve around the depressing truth that many Christians live lives indiscernibly different from unbelievers. This is not what the Bible says we are.
"You have been set apart as holy to the LORD your God."
Deuteronomy 14:2
"For God's will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time."
Hebrews 10:10
This is not what the Bible tells Christians to do.
"For I am the LORD your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy."
Leviticus 11:44
"Abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul."
1 Peter 2:11
This is not how Christians should act when we love Jesus.
"If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him,
and we will come to him and make our home with him."
John 14:23
"If you love me, you will keep my commandments."
John 14:15
And, our efforts to obey God's commandments will come with abrasion. Guaranteed.
"If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own;
but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you."
John 15:19
But it's ok. It's called a fight for a reason.
"Fight the good fight of the faith.
Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called."
1 Timothy 6:12
It's a race to the finish, a marathon of sorts, and our children's hearts are worth fighting for! Oh, how the enemy of our souls and our children's souls and our husband's souls and our friend's souls and that stranger's soul would love to convince us that veering off the narrow road is really not so bad. But, he's a liar and thief, a deceiver, this enemy that prowls. He victimizes slowly, cunningly. Sometimes it's hard to even realize that he has crept in, he's so sly. But there is a way to remain unstained. There is a way to prevail in battle, to say:
"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."
2 Timothy 4:7
We hold fast to the Truth. We act boldly, remain unstained. We fight for the faith. We cling to the Vine. We DO what the Word says we should DO. Likewise, we DON'T do what the Word says NOT to do. This takes conviction and consistent follow through.
I want to live like that! I want my husband and my children to live unashamedly like that! What is my role in all this?
"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul
and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself."
Luke 10:27
"Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world."
1 John 2:15-16
When it comes to homeschooling in particular, it's easy to feel discouraged. It's easy to think our children's destiny is in our hands.
It's easy to feel like a failure. It's easy to feel inadequate. Because we are. We are totally inadequate. But God addresses that.
"Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace,
that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need."
Hebrews 4:16
Yes, God uses broken, incapable things to confound the world and accomplish His purposes.
He always has and He always will. He employs the unable to show how capable HE is.
"But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise;
God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong."
1 Corinthians 1:27
So, we fight the good fight. We press on for our children and for the sake of Jesus' name.
We don't give up when it's hard, knowing a harvest is at stake and eternal souls are on the line.
What does this look like practically? We all need practical encouragement after all and the play out is endless potential.
But what are some practicals that can encourage us along the way as parents? What are some things we can do/not do?
First, we stay in the Word and we pray. We weigh all things through a biblical lens that allows us to see God's will step by step through the discernment and power of the Holy Spirit. We say NO to things that convict our conscience as parents, this includes unsupervised time on the internet, television, or social media, activities (including "good" activities) involving social interactions of negative influence, and anything else that gives the enemy opportunity to engulf our children's hearts. We don't permit idols in our children's hearts while they are young. Avoiding things that are overly popular when they are little leads to a distaste to do so when they're older and the stakes have gotten higher. We should avoid following the culture at all costs. We should be on the offensive and recognize that our little ones grow big...quickly. We need to stay in their business because unchecked children's problems become weed-infested adult-sized problems fast. We mustn't miss the boat to prevent destruction along the slippery slope. In fact, we tend to say, "Don't even go near the slope! Stay away from the slope! Don't touch the ladder leading up to the slippery slide. Do not climb that ladder."
Hmm...What else?
As parents and individuals, we ought to remain determined to live our lives set apart, identifiably different from the status quo of the world because Jesus said to...because of what Jesus Christ has done in our hearts. We say YES to investing in the lives of our children without giving up, without looking right and left in constant comparison to others. We keep our eyes on Jesus and how He said to live and then we follow through with action. We teach our children what the Bible says...consistently. Regularly like Deuteronomy 6 says:
"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."
Deuteronomy 6:5-9
This Scripture reminds us parents what we are to DO...all the time. It's not enough to just hear, we must DO. And, as parents, we can't just preach to our children, then do otherwise ourselves. We must live what the Bible says, be role models for our little ones, be set apart examples for them. They are watching and learning all the time through our actions which speak just as loudly if not more so than words. We must do what we hope that our children will do. We must not do what we hope that our children won't do. We must be what we hope that our children will be and earnestly strive to that end. This includes having a repentant heart when we've missed the mark.
This includes modeling asking for forgiveness and offering forgiveness when we have been wrong or they have been wrong.
"But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves."
James 1:22
Talk is cheap, but actions speak loudly of where our treasure lies. We need to observe ourselves from an outsider's perspective, willing to feel naked, stripped down as we ask ourselves hard questions about our choices and the potential ramifications of compromise. Our children are worth our efforts. Jesus, the Judge, is worthy of our efforts! We must be willing to do hard things and hold on tight with conviction! We must have open eyes to see how God sees and steer clear of the many pitfall traps the enemy sets before us and our children who follow our lead. Parents, we must protect our children! We must teach our children in the way they should go.
This responsibility is given to us by our Father God. We must obey His commands as clearly seen in Scripture.
"Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it."
Proverbs 22:6
"Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord."
Ephesians 6:4
How will we do this diligently if our children are not with us?
"My son, give me your heart, and let your eyes observe my ways."
Proverbs 23:26
"Hear, O sons, a father's instruction, and be attentive, that you may gain insight,
for I give you good precepts; do not forsake my teaching. Let your heart hold fast my words;
keep my commandments, and live. Get wisdom; get insight; do not forget,
and do not turn away from the words of my mouth."
Proverbs 4:1-2,4-5
How will our children stand strong if their hearts are constantly influenced by the world around them?
"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind,
that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect."
Romans 12:2
"Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life."
Proverbs 4:23
How about the Great Commission when Jesus said:
"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father
and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you."
Matthew 28:19-20
"...teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you." This goes beyond evangelism. This is discipleship.
What about when we see other Christians venturing dangerously near to the slippery slope?
What would LOVE say about that?
"Save others by snatching them out of the fire."
Jude 1:23
"Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent."
Revelation 3:19
God cares...and as brothers and sisters in Christ, we too should care.
"Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression,
you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness."
Galatians 6:1
We live in such an individualistic society, that sometimes we forget that Jesus' whole deal is to make us fishers of men along with Him. That's the whole entire point of our being here while we are! We are constant missionaries...no need to get on an airplane to do so. If we see our brothers and sisters in need, and this includes entanglement in the things of the world, we ought to lovingly offer encouragement. We should not shy away, too embarrassed to help. Jesus would do something and thus, so should we...gently.
"My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever
brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins."
James 5:19-20
These things swirl through my heart this morning as yet one more piece of discouraging news lands in my inbox. It makes me feel compelled to work these things out in my heart and mind, to ask the Lord my questions, ask Him to direct our steps and guide us in the ways we should go/not go as we raise our children for Him. Like a detective, I'm asking Him for clues, keys, answers.
Like a Father, I'm looking to Him and His Word to teach and lead as I ask:
Why?
Why does the church compromise so often, especially when it comes to our children? Why?
Why do Christian parents so often compromise, listening to lies from the greatest liar the world has ever known? Why?
Why do so many Christian young people walk away from their faith or claim to have faith yet live just like the secular world? Why?
Why are so many Christian fathers engaged to the fullest at work but disengaged at home where they should be leading their families?
Why do so many Christian mothers take a leadership role spiritually in the home?
Why do so many Christian women lack joy in the monumental ministry of motherhood?
Why do so many Christian homeschooling parents prioritize other things above the eternal condition of their children's hearts?
Why do so many Christians struggle with the exact same things yet feel so alone without encouragement and understanding?
Where do these problems begin? What are the roots? How can they be prevented, avoided, or squelched quickly as they arise?
And again, what is my role in contributing to defeat the enemy's calculating schemes and demise in my family and others?
What is my role in encouraging parents, just like me, targeted warriors with quivers full of arrows?
How can our family stand strong in this raging battle where enemies forge aggressive as we link arms with others who fight or have grown too weary to fight? How can we fight with and for those as we remember the battle belongs to the Lord?
"The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still."
Exodus 14:14
"Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one's youth.
Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them!
He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate."
Psalm 127:4-5
Pray.
Worship God and Him only.
Fear God.
LOVE God.
Live as we've been called...set apart. Different.
Recognize the spiritual battle we're engaged in.
Encourage one another.
Repent.
Fight the good fight.
These are actions.
"For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities,
against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places."
Ephesians 6:12
We can don the whole armor of God, prepared defensively and offensively, both!
"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.
Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil."
Ephesians 6:10-11
We can hold fast to God's commands and testify of His faithfulness ongoing.
"But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”
Joshua 24:15
We can encourage one another with words and spur each other on biblically.
"And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds."
Hebrews 10:24
We can offer what the Word has to say when those we love are wandering.
"Encourage one another, especially now that the day of [Jesus'] return is drawing near."
Hebrews 10:25
Jesus can use people, just ordinary sinful, normal people, to speak His perfect truth and He commissions us to partner with Him. Again, this is not limited to evangelism. Discipleship is key! We need to be willing to do life with each other...real, raw life. This is how we grow.
"You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket,
but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others,
so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven."
Matthew 5:14-16
As for me and my house, we will fight with and for our children! We will fight with and for fathers who are sidetracked out of leading their families! We will fight for mothers who buckle under the weight of fear and discouragement! We will fight for the fatherless, the vulnerable! We will fight for those entangled in the world, lured by an enemy who seeks to distract their souls. We will fight for the sake of Jesus' name and the responsibility He's given to those who choose to follow Him, even if it comes with a cost. Jesus said it would after all, and though it comes with abrasion, when we follow Christ, our lives should look different no matter the cost.
Different.
Our lives as Christians should BE different from the world we live in here and now and our hearts should be grieved by that which grieves the Lord as we love the people He loves. This doesn't mean we'll be perfect, but certainly we will be zealous for good works, holiness, righteousness, and most of all repentance, that is a turning from our sin in brokenness before a holy God, the Lover of our souls. That's exactly what we should be...different, repentant sinners, changed by grace through faith because of what Jesus accomplished on the cross and as a result we'll be set apart. We will. It will and should be obvious that there's something strange going on in our hearts as we choose to follow Christ, something excitingly unusual, intriguing, and definitely not status quo. That's who Jesus is and this is the battle we're called to engage in neck-high as Christians who strive with all we've got to follow HIM, to protect and instruct our children for HIM. This is our commitment to the Great Commissioner. This is how we fight the good fight.
"Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this:
to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world."
James 1:27
