Children In Crisis: The Need For A Biblical Foundation

Whoever would love life

and see good days

must keep his tongue from evil

and his lips from deceitful speech.

He must turn from evil and do good;

he must seek peace and pursue it.

For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous

and his ears are attentive to their prayer,

but the face of the lord is against those who do evil.

-1 Peter 3:10-12-

How do I keep my kids from doing evil but to do good? How do I train my children so that when they leave the house and they are on their own they will live by God's standards and not the worlds? How can I give my children a biblical worldview instead of the one the world teaches? I am constantly on my knees asking God to help me parent these children. Because they were given to me from Him!

I was recently doing some reading about the Post Modern era that we live in and then on Sunday we had a speaker that also talked on this subject. I read that 9 out of 10 young people accept the existence of God, the existence of the Trinity, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and the fact that every person has an eternal soul. More than 4 out of 5 want to have a close relationship with God. I read that two-thirds or more of the nation's 13 year-olds are at least some what persuaded that the Bible is totally accurate in its teachings, that they have a personal responsibility to share their religious beliefs with others and that circumstances do not justify theft.

BUT, Three-quarters believe the following:

*The devil does not exist-Satan is just a symbol of evil.

*A good person earns entry into heaven by doing enough good works.

*People are morally neutral and make a choice as to become good or bad.

*All of the sacred books from different religious traditions(i.e, the bible, the Koran, the Book of Mormon)are merely different expressions of the same spiritual truths and principles.

*Spiritual and moral truth can only be discovered through logic, human reason and person experience.

Two-thirds believe the following:

*Praying to deceased saints can have a positive effect on your life.

*The Bible discourages sin but never describes it as an innate behavior.

Half or more than half contend the following:

*Life either has no meaning or the meaning is realized through hard work, which produces the resources to enjoy comfort and security.

*There are no absolute standards for morals and ethics.

*Life is either a random series of acts or predetermined, but we have no real say in how our lives unfold.

*When Jesus Christ lived on Earth, He committed sins.

*The Bible does not specifically condemn homosexuality.

Now to place these views in context, I read that only 3 percent of the nation's 13 year-olds have a biblical worldview, which serves as the foundation for their decision making. This is most likely the case because the youth today are basing their decisions on their feelings or on what other people expect of them instead of the work of God, the Bible. The sad statistic of all of this is that more than two out of every three 13 year-olds say that they will not alter any of their core beliefs in the future.

I was so troubled by this information. I immediately asked Mandi, my almost 13 year-old a series of questions to see what her biblical view was. Thankfully, she was right on. This is all a great reminder that Michael and I are the ones to teach the Bible to the kids. It is not the church's job, or the Christian school's job. Of course they do play a role in it, but if I left it up to them I might find that later on down the road my children aren't living life with a biblical worldview.

It is all about biblical integration. integrate the Bible into every day life. Help your children see through the Bible how we are to live, act, and speak. I love this quote by Abraham Lincoln-

"In regard to this Great Book, I have but to say, I believe the Bible is the best gift God has given to man. All the good Savior gave to the world was communicated through this Book. But for this Book we could not know right from wrong. All things most desirable for man's welfare, here and her after, are to be found portrayed in it."

So while it might be hard to prevent every worldly thing from getting into our child's head, as parents we can definitely give them a foundation of moral truth that will help them when they leave the house. this foundation is God's Word. The Bible isn't just a set of rules and regulations but God's instruction for Biblical living which will bring forth a joyful and fulfilling life. This will help them be mothers and fathers, citizens, employees and friends. The list goes on. As you read above, this has to happen from when they are young. Let me tell you from experience that the teen years come way too fast. Deuteronomy 6:6-8 says:

"These commandments that I give to you today are to be upon our hears. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when yo get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the door frame of your houses and on your gates."

I think the Bible is very clear on this and I couldn't say it better. Your whole life, from sun up to sun down is teaching your child about God, and what His Word says. At the breakfast table, in the car on the way to school, in the car on the way home from school, at dinner, at bedtime, Anytime and every time is a perfect time to integrate the Bible into your child's life. This will give them the best foundation in living a life that is pure and pleasing to God. Psalm 119:9-10 says-

"How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to Your word. I seek You with all my heart; do not let me stray from Your commands."

This info came from handouts that I got at Central Christian School when I was going through training on Worldviews and Biblical Integration.

Albert E. Greene, Reclaiming The Future of Christian Education: A Transforming Vision (Association of Christian Schools International, Colorado Springs, CO 1998)