Digging Deeper: Raising Kids in a Sin-Soaked World
Train up a child in the way he should go, and even when he is old he will not depart from it.
Proverbs 22:6 (ESV)
RAISING KIDS IN A SIN-SOAKED WORLD
Being a mom is one of my most treasured titles. Having the responsibility to teach two little growing girls about Jesus is something that I do not take lightly. When they were young, it seemed easy. It was all picture books, Bible stories, and coloring sheets. Now, as they have entered their teens, helping them chase after Jesus looks drastically different. It has now become more intentional conversations about how the world says one thing, but we believe another. It’s telling them, “I don’t know how to explain to you that bad things happen to good people. I don’t know how to explain to you why cancer can come back. I don’t understand why people are trafficked. I don’t understand how drugs can be so prevalent, how so many inappropriate things can just be looming outside our four walls.”
When you truly look at the state of the world we are raising our children in, it’s heartbreaking. I miss my childhood days when we fearlessly stayed outside playing capture the flag until the street lights came on and it was time for dinner. I miss the days when we could ride our bikes to school and didn’t fear locking the door right behind us. Now, I find myself constantly trying to lock out and block out the world. From the internet to social media, video games, and books, the world is chasing after our time, our minds, and our souls, and it is saturated in sin.
I want better for my children, for my future grandchildren, and for your children. In order for us to change the community around us, God tells us to train up our own children. Help set their firm foundation in Him. Lead by example; let them see us searching for the answers to life’s problems in the Bible. Let them hear us praying for help, guidance, and protection. Show them what it looks like to exude kindness to others, to be intently present. Show them how to be the light in the middle of the darkness.
If we want to change the current state of our world, a great place to start is by showing our kids how to be like Jesus in our community.
I pray, as you take on this Monday and start your week, that you think about your community. That you pray intently for God to give you wisdom on how you can make an impact and change the story.
Kelly Skelton is a Georgia native, raised in the south on Jesus, Georgia football and sweet tea. She is her husbands’ biggest fan and her two daughters’ loudest cheerleaders. She recently published her first children’s book titled, But God Had a Plan. She stays active in the Dallas area as a photographer, videographer, writer, and middle school teacher.