Jesus told us that we are, too, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind” Matthew 22:37. As Christians, we get the heart but often act as if our minds should not be part of loving the Lord. Is it any wonder the Bible tells us to Renew our minds daily through the washing of the Word? Essentially with every aspect of our being, we are to love and use to glorify the Lord. In today’s culture, not only do we need critical thinkers, we desperately need Biblical thinkers.
We all have lenses through which we view the world through. These lenses shape our decision-making and how we engage with truth. As Christians, we should see the world through the Word of God. Chuck Colson said, “Genuine Christianity is more than a relationship with Jesus, as expressed in personal piety, church attendance, Bible study, and works of charity. It is more than discipleship, more than believing a system of doctrines about God. Genuine Christianity is a way of seeing and comprehending all reality.” It seems more today than in years past; our families are attacked by competing worldviews seeking to capture our children’s hearts and minds.
Think of this, the average age a child is introduced to pornography is 11. Yet I would argue they are programmed even earlier to have minds that think in lines of sexual immorality rather than biblically. Walk with your child through the mall, turn left, and no secrets are being hidden from them. I am not arguing for some Amish way of life here. However, Jesus taught, “I have given them your Word. The world hated them because they were not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I am not praying that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one” John 17:14-15. Our values and way of thinking should be starkly different than the world around us. If you are not equipping your family to think Biblically, this void is waiting to be filled by some other worldview that will teach them contrary to the Word of God.
Seeing Jesus in the family will mean thinking biblically. Our families must have a robust view of sexuality, gender, economics, work, and life. The biblical worldview you impart to your kids will help them become critical and theological thinkers in a world that desires them to turn off their minds. It is not a negative to filter the music your child listens to, the things they watch, or what friends they hang around.
Years ago, the popular show The Bachelorette had a professing Christian contestant. If you are unfamiliar, the bachelorette takes multiple men and has them compete for the affection of an eligible single woman. Even if you have never seen the show, you can guess what type of compromises and choices are made in the process.
When asked about sex before marriage, the young woman was confronted on how she could align what the Bible teaches about marriage versus her lifestyle displayed on the show. She confessed that she has had “physical relations” with some of the other contestants. Her response was, “Jesus still loves me regardless of anything I’ve done; I can do whatever; I sin daily, and Jesus still loves me. It’s all washed, and if the Lord doesn’t judge me and it’s all forgiven, then no other man, woman … anything can judge me.”
In one statement, her convictions and values came together like a puzzle; this is how she made sense of the world and “her truth.” However, for the Christian, we have the puzzle placed together for us, and the lenses God has called us to use to make sense of life and stand on absolute truth; are found in the Word of God.
According to Barna Research, their Biblical worldview becomes less as the generations progress. 10% of Boomers, those born between 1944-1964, hold a biblical worldview; 7% of Gen X, those born between 1965’ and -1980” s; and 6% of Millennials- (1981-1996). Yet, many of us are raising those in Generation Z, or the generation born between 1999 and 2005. This is the generation who only knows high-speed internet, video on demand, and cell phones from the womb. However, only 4% of Gen Z possess a Biblical worldview. How can we see Jesus in the family if our families don’t know how to think biblically?
In our families, we must apply and live out what the Scripture tells us in Ephesians 5:15-17, “Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk—not as unwise people but as wise— making the most of the time,[a] because the days are evil. 17 So don’t be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.” In the book, No Regrets Parenting by Dr. Hartley Rotbart, he writes, “There are only 940 Saturdays between a child’s birth and them leaving for college.” He adds, “If your child is five, 260 Saturdays are gone. Poof.” The reality for us as parents is that God has given us time, but the time is short, and we must be good stewards of the children in our home. That means, as parents, we must ensure we know and live out this truth before our children.
We can help them think biblically by teaching them what is true and how we live. Once, I was teaching one of my sons about anger and how the Bible teaches us that we will be angry, but we should not allow our anger to lead us to sin, according to Ephesians 4:26. About a day later, the same child did something childish, and I completely lost my cool. In the heat of the moment, I barked out demands, spoke to them harshly, and dismissed them to their room. A short time later, the Holy Spirit convicted my heart of my actions. The most humbling thing for a parent is apologizing and repenting to their child. I wish I could say this was the only time an apology came from me, but it wasn’t, and I am sure more are to come. Yet, at that moment, I gave a clear biblical picture of how Christians should apply the truth of the Scripture in how they live and interact with people, even when they are wrong.
Is unbiblical thinking, habits or attitudes going unchecked in your family? What is God calling you to change today?
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