How do we guide our kids through our culture?

What is the criteria to judge the music, videos, and books that come into our households?

We wish we could give you a helpful checklist of what to watch or listen to. But honestly, it would be impossible to list all the music, movies, TV shows, books, etc. that are safe for our kids.  But there is hope! Scripture Alone can guide us and it can be a lens to help us lead our kids in how we should engage with the culture of the day.

One thing is sure:  There is an unpresented amount of music, YouTube videos, streaming services, and books that are blatantly against God and His Word today.  Media is one of the big ways that the devil whispers lies to a society ready to believe them.  

Philippians 4:8 can be a helpful guide to filter through the lies and agenda of the enemy in media today.

What questions can we ask about our kids’ media?

Are you wondering about a certain artist being safe for your kids to listen to? Are the lyrics true or are they written to lead others from the truth? Are the lyrics pure or are they explicit? Is the artist honorable or have they stood for questionable things just to win the hearts of society?

Have you wondered about a book or book series your kids want to read? In God’s eyes, is it worthy of praise? Are there lessons learned in the book that are helpful or beneficial to the soul?

Do you find yourself questioning the YouTube accounts your kids want to follow? Is it excellent?  Does it bring God glory, not only in quality, but in content, or purpose? Does it redeem the time that is used watching it?

If we fill our heads with things that are against God, how can we think on the things that are lovely, pure, and bring God glory? The truth is, we can’t.  And neither can our kids.

We must guide our kids through this world with scripture. That is the standard.

It isn’t easy.  As parents, there is so much for us to sort through and there is so much junk offered freely in this world! But, our attention to the things that fill our kids’ heads is not in vain! Be encouraged and look to Christ! May Christ be everything we yearn for, and may our kids see that in us!

Let’s take seriously the words God has given us. May we seek to apply them to our lives the best we can. And may our kids see the light of Christ in us that is contrary to the darkness of the world we live in! Our desire is that our kids would taste and see that the Lord is good.

*Philippians 4:8 is just one example of how we can apply scripture to the decisions we make daily.  There are more scriptures and we will be posting them this week, so be on the lookout!

For our post on “Redeeming the Time” with the media our kids consume, visit this link.