September 18, 2020
I was sheltered. Though I attended public school until seventh grade, my parents still did their best to keep us protected and innocent of the evils in the world, and for that I am thankful! There have been a plethora of posts and hashtags lately urging people to cancel their Netflix subscriptions due to the content they are allowing. This is not a new phenomenon; in the past people have been urged to boycott corporations such as Disney, Target, Hobby Lobby, and Chick-fil-A. It is rare to find marked cultural change because of a boycott, though it does sometimes change how things are done. If you feel compelled to take your business elsewhere, by all means, do so. However, to truly change the culture around us, I would urge you to start by looking inward. Look at your own heart and in your own home.
It is appalling to hear of what is happening in our country and world. People are divided into groups based on a single issue or factor, and people refuse to listen to others as they fight against each other, often with the same ideals or intentions. Although numerous books and movies urge people to “follow their heart”, we come into this world with hearts that cannot be trusted. Jeremiah 17:9 says, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?” We are born in need of salvation from our own sinful heart. Our salvation comes from God alone; He is the only One who can save us from our sins. “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9) Without Christ, the world is doomed by our own sinful natures and the curse of sin. We must continually examine our own hearts and repent of our sins, following God’s word rather than our own hearts as our guide.
As we grow in our faith, the Word of God will shape our lives, and what we do or don’t do will be in an effort to follow God’s commands. James tells us that our salvation results in works. “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.” (James 1:22-25) This means that the lives of Christians often look different from the world around them. We need to be actively teaching our children the Word of God and model it for them in our own lives. We must teach them what God required of us and how to recognize sin in their own lives. As much as is possible, we must also shield our children from the sin and dangers of this world in which we live.
While "sheltering" your kids is often looked down upon in our society, it is a way to protect and safeguard them as long as possible. Yes, children need to interact with other people and get out and see things. I’m not advocating that we shut them up in the house and never let them do anything. However, we can monitor what they watch, listen to, and do. We can carefully guide them to people and places where they can have safe and healthy interactions rather than corrosive or unhealthy relationships. For some parents, this involves homeschooling or sending children to a private Christian school. We can’t always protect them from everything, but we can do our best to build a strong relationship with our children so they trust us and come to us to learn. I have always tried to be open and honest with my daughter when she asks questions. I do try to ensure that my response is age appropriate in detail, but always an honest answer. Now that she is closing in on the teen years, I am thankful that I had such an open and honest relationship with her. She feels comfortable coming to me to ask questions about things she sees, hears, or experiences.
“Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:9) Do not let your children be taken in by the world. It is part of the responsibility of parents to monitor their children’s intake of media and entertainment as well as the activities in which they participate. Start in your home. As much as it depends on you, teach your children to love and serve the Lord. Seek to protect them from their own sinful desires as well as the sin of the world around them. Do what you think is best for your kids. Set guidelines and boundaries based on God’s Word and your convictions. Don’t let the opinions of others cause you to ignore your own conscience. If you need to cancel Netflix, do it. If you need to remove the TV from your home altogether, do that. If you want to keep those things and just preview what your children watch first, then that’s what you need to do. Sheltered kids aren’t being left out, they are being protected by loving parents that want what is best for them.