Words Matter

It’s a difficult time to talk about current events with our kids. Would you agree? Depending on their age, we don’t want to frighten them. We don’t want to mislead them. We’re not really sure how we even feel about what’s going on in our country, and we surely don’t want them going to school and repeating everything we’ve said at home. So in truth, we just don’t talk about it. We leave the news turned off, we answer their questions with limited responses, and we hope each day will be better than the one before it. At least that’s how it is in my home.

But what if we’re missing opportunities for valuable conversations about the kingdom of God? What if we’re missing opportunities to influence our children’s faith development as a result of what they witness in current events? As a mom, I don’t want to miss those opportunities. As a citizen of the United States, I don’t want to miss the opportunity to help my children grow up to be informed voters. As a Jesus-follower, I don’t want to miss the opportunity to help my children live their faith and potentially influence this country for the better.

The truth is that we cannot bury our heads in the sand. Our kids are aware of the tensions in our country. If they are in school, I guarantee they are hearing about it, often in adult words spoken from the mouths of children who overheard their own parents. Our responsibility as parents is to help our kids navigate the world and our responsibility as Christ-followers is to help them do so in a way that brings the kingdom of Heaven here on earth. And that kingdom will look much different than what we currently see on the news and experience in our own lives.

So I’m committed to do better and the commitment I make has nothing to do with my political leanings but rather everything to do with what I read in scripture about the life and teachings of Jesus Christ.  In the Carey house, with girls who are 12 and 16, we’re framing conversations around Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7, and with special emphasis on the beatitudes as our lens for looking at current events and how we should respond. What does Jesus say about how we should interact with others? What does Jesus say about the power of our words? What does Jesus say about the oppressed? What does Jesus say about material possessions? About judgement? About truth? And how do we see those teachings play out in current events today?

 Another great scriptural guide is Micah 6:8, “And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” Imagine the fruit of conversation when we define what this means for ourselves and for our family.  My prayer is that these conversations will help our girls recognize the heart of God, identify those situations that break his heart, and in turn be young women who speak and act the truth in love for the kingdom of Heaven.

Truthfully, we didn’t have these kinds of conversations when my girls were younger. It was a different time and I was in a much different place spiritually. But young children need just as much reassurance and context to understand their world. Last week I listened to a great podcast from NPR’s Life Kit called “What to Say to Kids When the News is Scary” and I cannot recommend it strongly enough for guidance especially with younger children.  You can access both the podcast and a brief article here.

Parenting is no joke, and parenting with the goal of discipling our kids to follow Jesus is even more difficult. Be encouraged. We are the men and women for the job. With the help of scripture, the Holy Spirit’s guidance, and one another as support, we can bring up a generation of peacemakers and world changers….but it starts today.

God, give us the wisdom and the words to lead our children well. Point us to the scritpure, to the life and words of your son Jesus Christ who modeled for us what it means to live in deep relationship with you, to live a servant’s life, to love our neighbor as our selves. God show us how to parent in a way that demonstrates your love for our children and for all children. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.