Culture-shaping leaders understand the times in which they live. On today’s Home School Heartbeat, Mike Smith talks with Dr. Jeff Myers about equipping your children to defend the biblical worldview.
Mike Smith:
Jeff, you said that one of the characteristics of a culture-shaping leader is understanding the times in which you live. How can parents teach their children to do this and why is it so important?
Jeff Myers:
Mike, the main character quality I think parents need to teach kids today is discernment, which means, not only to know the difference between what is right and wrong but to prefer what is right over what is wrong. I think there are three scripture passages that we can turn to that are helpful. First of all, the apostle Paul said “don’t be taken captive.” There are ideas out there that try to con our kids, so preparing our children to ask questions like, you know, is that idea really a good idea? Can that product that you want to buy really provide happiness and satisfaction in life that you want it to? The second thing is to take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. You know I don’t think we should simply settle for avoiding the world. I think we should engage the culture in which we live. Ultimately we want our kids to have the ability to take a stand in philosophy and in politics and law and all these other areas of life. And so we have to study and stay up with current events. The third thing is to set the captives free. The goal of life is not just to bash other people, but to be able to reach them with the truth. So learning how to speak the truth in a spirit of grace is extremely important.
Mike:
Very good, Jeff. Listeners, join us next time for more on this topic, and until then, I’m Mike Smith.
