Fight hard each day for the minds of your children.

The battle has already been won through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, of this there is no doubt.  The battle of the mind, no doubt, is raging every day.  In the mind of the Christ-follower, there can be clarity of thought as we discern the world's advances and setbacks.  However, for our children, and the children of those around us, their worldview is being carefully and powerfully shaped by culture.

Outside the context of Sunday School or your child's bedroom, how do you feel your children would answer this question..."What do you think is our world's biggest problem?"

For Christ-followers, we'd like to think that our children would answer "sin."  In my opinion, in America, Costa Rica, and elsewhere, I'm afraid we'd be sadly mistaken.  The culture is winning, even with churched kids with generations of Christ-followers standing behind them.  As a result, the answer is often "pollution," or "poverty," or "discrimination."

Now you might say that middle school and high school children have not yet developed the depth in thinking skills that would take them to where they need to be, and this may be true.  But it's up to us as Christian parents to help our kids think about THEIR world in terms of THEIR faith.

The world frames problems and defines solutions in a completely secular sense.  Pollution is a problem, it's solution is policy enacted by government to punish those who pollute and reward those who don't.  Poverty is a problem, it's solution is policy enacted by government to transfer wealth to those who don't have it.  Now these solutions may be distasteful to you, but that's not the point.  The problem is, they exist at the surface and they are incomplete.

Our world is a decaying mess, and it's our responsibility to steward its resources and care for its people.  However, the greatest care you can show the people of our world is to carefully, considerately, and consistently showing them the love of Jesus Christ.  Only with this foundation, can a person understand why our world is filled with horrible problems.

I like to tell my children about the "why staircase."  Never ask why only one, ask it at least three times.  This will help them more accurately frame and define problems.

What is a problem in our world?  Poverty?  Why is their poverty?  Because people don't have money?  Why don't people have money?  There may be many reasons such as corruption, greed, laziness, and deceit.  Why does corruption exist?  Because the hearts of the world's people are filled with sin and they are far from God.

It's up to you, Mom and Dad.  The world is filling your children's heads with messages that are incomplete and devoid of the Almighty.  Fight hard for your children's minds every day.