The best piece of advice I can give to new parents is “Consider what sort of adult you’re creating right now.” It’s easy to focus on surviving the terrible 2s, adolescence, and pre-teen years, but before we know it we’ll have a fully-formed human being capable of adult thoughts and actions, trying to find their way in the world. With a wife and 4 kids, I spend a lot of time thinking about where I’m leading as a father and husband, and as a result we do some things that have raised some eyebrows over the years. All families have different things that work for them, so I thought I’d share a few things my family does, and more importantly why we do it.
When I consider discussions, rules, traditions in my home, I try to put an emphasis on where it will lead, not just what it will produce now. What my family does may often be subjective, and what our circumstances allow may not be feasible for other families. Likewise, the journey God has brought us through may create different needs than other families.
This series will try to avoid a “thou shalt” sort of tone. Most of the articles on this blog are focused on teaching, and I write with a certain firmness about my beliefs, hopefully bringing enough proof and logic to let the readers see why I believe what I believe.
But this series is meant to be different. This will be much more personal, and the overall goal will simply be to get parents to examine their own beliefs on various topics. Maybe someone will stop and say “Huh, I never thought of it that way,” or perhaps the reaction will be “That’s not for us, and here’s why I know that.” The goal of each article will simply be to get families to dig deeper and keep seeking to honor God.
As Christians, we’re called to be different from the world. Yet it’s so easy to unknowingly adopt the beliefs and traditions of those who’s lives are against God. That can create conflict with the biblical worldview we’re also trying to give our families, and our kids will notice that disconnect.
Parents are naturally, and wonderfully, protective of their families. Reading beliefs that go against how we lead them can create knee-jerk defensiveness, and we’re tempted to shut down because we feel attacked. As this series progresses, all I ask is that readers keep an open mind, both to understanding my position, as well as continuing to deepen their own beliefs. I don’t believe my family has it all figured out, but I do hope that we can serve as an instrument in helping the readers of Onward in the Faith closely examine and understand their own beliefs. If this series does nothing else, I hope it creates discussions that are aimed at glorifying God as we care for those He’s trusted to us.
Do not be conformed to this present world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may test and approve what is the will of God—what is good and well-pleasing and perfect. (Romans 12:2)
