Hiking boots in a slippery world.

"But test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good. 1 Thes 5:21

How do children develop a Christian Worldview? More than likely it will not come from church. Most churches are hard pressed to even find enough volunteers to serve in Children's ministries each year, much less scan them for the ability to teach a solid worldview. Most adults don't have a good bead themselves on where they should stand on issues today or even how to defend their faith. Even if each church in America had an army of well prepared volunteers, we only get about 1 and 1/2 hours a week with your child. In a world that will commit to bombarding your child with contrary input, this is not adequate time to defend against it.

No, the responsiblity must be firmly placed in the parent's hand. It is not as hard as it sounds. First thing you must do is be clear on what you believe and why. If you don't know why you practice some of the things you do, ask an elder or pastor at your church.

Second, be around when your child is exposed to media. Teach them to see what they are watching or listening to objectively. Children's programming is filled with manipulation and bad messages of body image and popularity. Discuss whether what is happening is realistic. Have them think through their own experiences with school and peers. Be sure to show them that they can defend the faith against the message they are being fed.

Talk about what motivation may be behind the commericial or TV program. Help them develop critical thinking skills. If they don't agree with you, challenge them to defend their position by finding backing for it in the Bible. Don't lord over them with your opinions. Let them develop their own loyalty to God and their worldview. As long as they have a Biblical defense for it that is sound. Be prepared to be schooled by your kids. God always teaches me something new through them.

Make talking through the emotional parts of their day a norm in your home. This is where the real battles can surface. If you say, "How was your day?", they say, "fine". If you say, "What did you do?" They say, "Nothing". Don't stop there. Ask them if anything out of the ordinary happened. What was their high and what was their low. Did someone say something that suprised or confused them. Dig a bit deeper and the issues of their heart will surface.

You can do this. It is one day at a time that they slip away, so be sure they have hiking boots to help them hold their ground in a slippery world.
Blessings
Brenda