Parenting & Secularism

In the Scriptures, we discover a central, but often overlooked, spiritual identity as Christians that is named in 1 Peter as "elect exiles.” I believe understanding this identity is a guide to faithfully following Jesus in a secular age. This is not only true for us as individuals but also as families. We are the counterculture of heaven and as parents, we must teach our children the ways of belonging and not becoming. To this end, we need to resist the lies that want to deform our kids and renew our understanding of what our assignment is as moms and dads.  

Every day the false ways of assimilation and separation beckon their hearts, but what our children need is a family who embodies the way of Jesus: incarnation. We cannot hand our children off to the school system, sports leagues, social media, or even our children's ministry or youth groups, to help them find their way. We, as parents, must guide them. We must go first and create a pathway for them to follow. Our children will have to choose for themselves one day what they believe, but it is our role as parents to establish a foundation of truth that they can build upon. This is why we must learn how to parent in a secular age. To that end I put this invitation in front of you through a unique picture: we must become houses that face a different direction.

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