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We Are What we Think
The hidden challenge of Christian parenting is the battle for the minds of our children. Every culture has a collection of values that are broadly accepted and which become an invisible fabric dressing everyday decisions. This fabric of values is the world view of the culture and it is the lens through which a person interprets life and the compass by which they navigate life. Most of the time a persons’ worldview is so instinctive and pervasive that its influence on their life remains unexamined. The writings of the Bible, taken collectively, can be used to form a Christian worldview, a fabric of attitudes and behavioral expectations. When the prevailing cultural world view is consistent with the Christian world view, a parents’ job is much easier. But when the cultural world view differs from the Christian world view the battle over the mind of our children is substantial. The challenge to instill a Christian world view in our children is difficult for several reasons. First, there are many sources of influence on the thinking and attitudes of our children which dilute the effect of a parent’s efforts. Second, we as parents may be unaware of how our values have been shaped by our culture in ways that differ from the Biblical world view. Finally, a parent can only influence the world view of the child. The children will ultimately make their own decisions about their world view. The battle for the mind of our children is the frontline work of the Christian parent. In the next several articles I want to examine some selected aspects of a Christian world view taken directly from Scripture and discuss the challenges these biblical perspectives present in our current culture.
In Romans chapters 8 and 12, Paul describes several fundamental aspects of a Christian world view as he outlines the new life in Christ. In chapter 8 as he describes the transformation from the old self to the new self he frames the discussion as a choice between fulfilling the desires of our flesh and fulfilling the desires of the Spirit. In chapter 12 of Romans, Paul outlines several practical elements of the new life in the Spirit. Then in Ephesians chapters 4 and 5 Paul hits on a variety of practical implications of our new life in Christ. While all of these deserve careful consideration, in the next two articles I will be focusing on two in particular: using your gifts diligently for the Lord and working in order to share with others.
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