God Says...That's Who!

^{We all experience it...young...old...man...woman...boy...girl...Christian...and nonChristian --the effects of  our society's culture.  It is the driving force behind the power of peer pressure that dogs every age, race, gender and social status known to man. This societal norm  - or as our kids so aptly put it what "everyone else" is doing - dictates what is acceptable and unacceptable, what is successful and unsuccessful ... the list is endless. And you really can't blame them in a way for being charmed  by the world's allure for everywhere you look our society seems to be campaigning not only for their attention but for ours as well.  This is why we are studying Culture on Wednesday nights - so we will stop and ask ourselves that important question, "Who says?"  Who really has the right to set the standard?  What does it really mean to be happy and successful?  Well, actually, God does!}

 ^{Stacy Mintz spoke last Wednesday night about our role as parents in today's culture.  As I was studying my notes later in the week, I remembered an incident over 20 years ago that happened with my son - our oldest child.  I went to pick him up after school one day, and he flung himself into the backseat with tears streaming down his face.}  

^{"Mom, you gotta teach me all the bad words!" he blurted out.}

 ^{Well, his dad and I had worked hard to guard his precious little 6 year old mind from learning any such thing so my first thought was, "Absolutely not!" but there was obviously more to this story so I asked him why.  It seems he had been sitting with a group of boys a lunch who had been using some foul language.  Wanting to fit into the crowd, Kyle had joined in.  When the lunchroom monitor walked by, the other boys knew to stop, but poor Kyle did not.  When he tried to explain that he did not know that he was saying a bad word, he got into even more trouble for lying because the lunchroom monitor and teacher could not believe that he would not know that particular word.  My poor, sweet innocent child had spent a very traumatic afternoon being punished for not one but two things he did not do - but that our culture's standards dictate could not be possible.  Even when I went to try and explain to the teacher that he was telling the truth, she was skeptical that this was even possible.  I think this illustrates peer pressure on several levels: Kyle, of course, to talk inappropriately and to lie, Me, as his parent, to teach him words I didn't want him to learn, and the school personnel who had a strict mental image of how a 6 year old boy acts.}  

 ^{Unfortunately, incidents like this are going to happen in our children's lives.  In fact, they only grow and get more and more serious as they get older.  But this just demonstrates the importance of our role as parents in the lives of our children.  This was the foundation of Stacy's discussion with us.  We cannot wait until the situations arise.  We must seek God's guidance, plan, and act before society - or Satan - raises it ugly head and attacks.  Our culture would like us to think their way is the only way to live, but the TRUTH is God's way is the only way.  Who says?  God says!  And as parents we have a responsibility to not only live that out and set an example for our children but to train them up to be able to live IN the world but not be OF the world.}

^{Stay tuned - my next blog will give you Stacy's wonderful Biblical advice on how to do that.}

^{Robin Kelley
copywritten by Robin Kelley, used with express permission}