THE EYE IN THE STORM

GUEST EDITORIAL BY DONNA SHAW

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.” Matthew 7:24-25

A hurricane is a massive storm ranging in size from approximately 62 – 1243 miles wide; the destruction they cause can be catastrophic. These powerful storms have a minimum sustained wind of at least 74 mph for a category one storm and 157 mph or greater for a category five. Yet, in the very center of those devastating winds sits a quiet oasis called the eye of the storm. In the eye all is calm. There is no hint of the destructive winds raging on around it. Amidst the turmoil that is the storm, it is the only safe place to escape. For a Christian the world is the raging storm and Christ is the eye in which we take refuge. Isaiah declares about God,

“You have been a refuge for the poor, a refuge for the needy in their distress, a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat. For the breath of the ruthless is like a storm driving against a wall and like the heat of the desert.” Isaiah 25:4-5

The Lord is our refuge, but are we demonstrating that to our kids?

From the moment our children walk out of the house they are assaulted on every side by the chaos of this lost world. They are bombarded with images of inadequately dressed individual flaunting their sexuality. Their ears can’t help but overhear music laden with sex, profanity and violence blaring from the stereos of cars driving by. They are subjected to conversations, conducted in public, discussing in detail things that should only be spoken of discretely between married couples. Even the halls of public schools offer no relief as they are confronted with the sight of fliers and individuals promoting the “alternative lifestyle.” Outside of the home they are taught to tolerate and condone sin; there is no moral absolute. What are we teaching them inside of the home?

Once they step out of the house either in our presence or on their own, a parent has little to no control over what they are exposed to. Within the home, however, parents have almost absolute control, especially when they are young. When children walk out of their homes they walk out into a raging tempest that seeks to consume them. They can easily be swept away by its unrelenting force. Children need a safe haven, a refuge from the winds and rains that Satan and the world unleash upon their impressionable young minds. If you are a Christian your home should be that sanctuary.

Young children are precious in God’s sight. He places great emphasis on how sacred he considers them by calling all to become like little children in order to enter the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 18:3 Children are pure hearted and innocent. They love and trust readily. As a parent, we are called to protect that innocence while training them in righteousness. Particularly when they are young, children look to authority figures for what is right or wrong morally. What they see and hear has a profound impact on their moral development and future spiritual development. Proverbs 4:23 tells us to “guard [our] hearts, for everything [we] do flows from it.” The parent is responsible for guarding the heart of their children while they are not yet mature enough to do it themselves. How can we protect their innocent hearts if we are exposing them to the very things we should be sheltering them from? How can a child learn, by godly example what is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthyPhilippians 4:8 if what they see inside of their homes looks the same as what they see outside of them.

Some parents boast about how mature their children are for their age not realizing that by biblical standards that isn’t a positive thing. The world views maturity very differently. They view it as knowledgeable about the ways of the world (aka street smarts). It is also viewed as a sign of independence and self-sufficiency, two virtues you will not see applauded in the bible. Biblical maturity, as it relates to a child, brings about the responsibility for sin and with it condemnation if they are not in Christ. While they are young they are not responsible for sin. It is their very innocence that makes them close to God.(Mark 10:14, Luke 10:21) Innocence, once lost, is lost forever. The only hope is if they make a personal decision to follow Christ, which no parent is guaranteed.

This isn’t to suggest that a child should not be taught responsibility. He or she should be equipped to deal with the trials they will face in this world. Contrary to popular belief parenting does in fact come with a manual; its called the Bible. The Bible teaches that “all scripture is God breathed and useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.”2 Timothy 3:16 If you have declared, “Jesus is Lord “ and consider the bible your standard, then the scripture should be the place to turn to for preparing a child to face the world. If we rely on our own wisdom and experience or the wisdom of the world to guide how we raise our children, we will not equip them for the battles they will face. The worlds wisdom is foolishness in comparison to God’s.(1 Corinthians 1:19-20 and 25)

Here are just a few examples of worldly wisdom vs. God’s truth:

Worldly wisdom says, “It is okay if they watch that on TV as long as I explain that it’s not real or they shouldn’t do what they see.”

God’s word says, “I will set before my eyes no vile thing”Psalm 101:3

Worldly wisdom says “I just want my child to have the best of everything”

God’s word says, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”Matthew 6:19-21

Worldly wisdom says, “I don’t want my kid to get teased. I want them to fit in.”

God’s word says, “In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.”2 Timothy 3:12

Worldly wisdom says, “do what I say, not what I do.”

God’s word says “Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers”1 Timothy 4:16 and “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.”1 Corinthians 11:1

The vast majority of television/movies, music, and internet content promote things and ideas that at best are questionable and at worst blatantly contradict what is taught in the bible. Desensitization to sin, materialism, and conformity are all things that are learned. Popular media, if not censored, can teach our young girls that flaunting their sexuality is a way of getting what they want and obtaining approval from males. It teaches our young boys to view and treat females as objects not people and that it’s okay to lust with their eyes. It promotes homosexuality and premarital sex as natural and acceptable sins. It shows that the pain and misery of others is often humorous and that money and power equal happiness. Commercials geared specifically toward children, teach them to covet possessions. Whether media influences the worlds values or is simpy a reflection of them, is that the example we want our children to see and follow?

Not all media is bad, but in order to guard a child’s heart a parent should know what they are watching and listening to. What they are bombarded with in the world should not be what they come home to. Any parent who believes that their children are not influenced by what they see and hear has never heard a child recite word for word the lyrics from a song or the words from a favorite movie. They have never seen a child mimic an entire dance routine they saw on TV or try out the latest wrestling move on their siblings. If you’re still not convinced, sit back quietly and watch your child play for a while. See if you notice any familiar looking facial expressions or gestures or hear any familiar sounding phrases come out of their mouths. If you look closely you may start seeing your own habits, both good and bad, reflected back at you. We must be mindful of what we are exposing our children to, or we may find them quickly confrming to the pattern of this world as they imitate our lack of transformation. Romans 12:2 As we take refuge in our Lord and Savior we must in turn provide a safe haven for our children as we teach them to do the same.

Donna Shaw