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What is the single most important factor in the spiritual growth and development of a child?  Education?  A Balanced Diet?  Exercise?  A Good Night’s Sleep?  These are all important, no doubt, but the single most important factor is the child’s parents.  The beliefs, examples, and methods of training that parents employ have more influence upon a child’s spiritual development than any other.  It is for this reason that the LORD enjoins parents with the spiritual growth and development of children (Deuteronomy 6:2).

Key to success in the spiritual growth and development of children is a method of parenting that focuses on spiritually transformational outcomes.  Researcher George Barna has recently weighed in on this issue.  He says:

Parenting by default and trial-and-error parenting are both approaches that enable parents to raise their children without the effort of defining their life.  Revolutionary parenting, which is based on one’s faith in God, makes parenting a life priority. Those who engage in revolutionary parenting define success as intentionally facilitating faith-based transformation in the lives of their children, rather than simply accepting the aging and survival of the child as a satisfactory result.

In other words, to foster the spiritual growth and development of a child, parents must go beyond simple concern for a child’s independence, and focus upon a child’s spiritual transformation.  A child’s independence as an adult is certainly not excluded in this focus, but it is not the final desired outcome for the child’s personal development.  Consider Proverbs 29:15 in light of this: “The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame.”

It is also not surprising that another study indicates that children whose parents focus upon spiritual development, as definitive of successful parenting, are more likely to remain spiritually active as adults.  More frequent spiritual participation as children resulted in more frequent spiritual participation as adults.  Less frequent spiritual participation as children resulted in less frequent spiritual participation as adults.  Of course, such results are not always duplicated in each individual life, but so far as trends and generalities go, spiritual activity and involvement as children influences and brings about spiritual activity and involvement as adults.  Proverbs 22:6 states, “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”

If one doubt that such parenting practices have the desired effect, just consider another Barna survey: “Young Adults and Liberals Struggle with Morality.”  The survey shows that young adults today are far more likely to engage in immoral behavior than previous generations.

For instance, two-thirds of the under-25 segment (64%) had used profanity in public, compared to just one out of five Boomers (19%). The younger group – known as Mosaics – was nine times more likely than were Boomers to have engaged in sex outside of marriage (38% vs. 4%), six times more likely to have lied (37% vs. 6%), almost three times more likely to have gotten drunk (25% vs. 9%) and to have gossiped (26% vs. 10%), and twice as likely as Boomers to have observed pornography (33% vs. 16%) and to have engaged in acts of retaliation (12% vs. 5%).

Now, what would we consider one of the main differences between the baby-boomer generation and those raised by the baby-boomers?  Would it not be the emphasis upon spiritual growth and development of children?

Our children are important and precious.  They are important, first of all, spiritually.  Each soul is worth more than the whole world (Matthew 16:26).  Their growth and development in that department should be paramount in importance due to this intrinsic worth.

They are important, secondly, for the ongoing growth and development of the family.  The children of today become the parents of tomorrow.  They will act toward their children largely as we have acted toward them.

They are importantly, thirdly, for the growth and development of the church.  The same children we spiritually educate today will be the adults participating in the activities of the church tomorrow.  Those activities will largely be shaped by the activities in which they participated as children.

They are important, fourthly, for the growth and development of society as a whole.  Who wants to live in hell on earth?  Yet, that is exactly the kind of place future generations will occupy given the trends of moral decline today.  May we, as parents, understand and respect the awesome God-given responsibility for our children’s spiritual growth and development, and may we set appropriate goals to so effect that development. by Kevin Cauley

“GOD LOVES YOU AND I LOVE YOU AND THAT’S THE WAY IT’S GONNA BE!” – MIKE

http://churchofchristarticles.com/blog/administrator/parenting/

Just a few years ago, we never could have imagined having such a resource as social media. Though email was a big deal, the reach and impact of such sites as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram is nothing short of remarkable. None of these sites is good or bad in themselves, but how they are used decides the proper use of them.

Knowing that, I just wonder how it would look if our enemy, the devil (1 Peter 5:8), opened an account. I wonder what would populate his social media feed. Here are some possible things he might share with the world.

• I imagine he would share things that might not be true, but that simply prove his point. After all, he is the father of lies (John 8:44), so why would it matter if what he shared wasn’t “fully” true?
• I imagine he would share things that made people think less of each other, instead of things that built others up. He might even do so through subtle or innocent-sounding comments, so as not to be obvious in what he is trying to do.
• I imagine he would find it helpful to chime in on virtually every big event and news story and movement, trying to make sure people know how right he was and how he always looks so righteous. That way, people would be drawn to him as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14)
• I imagine he would share things that promote shows, movies, music, books, and games that aren’t “that bad,” but that contain some level of questionable morality. After all, if he can tempt us with just something little, and get us hooked with the plot line or cool characters or great beat, he can slip in a little darker material soon enough (and, who knows, maybe we will even promote it ourselves).
• I imagine he would share things that constantly show how awful the world is, so we would distrust virtually anyone who is not just like me. And he would consider it a bonus if he could get Christians to distrust each other, because then they will not work together to save souls. They would be too busy arguing among themselves about politics or economic matters or other news items for all the world to see.
• I imagine he would share things that are snarky, sarcastic, and cutting, just to see if he can get under people’s skin, especially if it is over an issue that is multifaceted. However much he can get people to not think and, instead, just react, his job gets far easier. And, if they react with other cutting and sarcastic comments, it becomes even easier.
• I imagine he would share things that, in the long-run, do not matter. After all, he does not have to get Christians to hold sinful positions; he just has to keep them distracted from their real work of preaching the Gospel to the whole world.

I do not follow the devil on social media, but I do have my own personal accounts. Have I, in the things I share and the way I interact, given my enemy a voice to do his work through my social media?

“When words are many, transgression is not lacking, but whoever restrains his lips is prudent.” (Proverbs 10:19) via Adam Faughn at http://faughnfamily.com/if-the-devil-had-a-social-media-account/?fbclid=IwAR3NCZr9kLl3Uw3Ovqxj2ZuTs_BjbuI5slYalWBzUJpE1vMLwllv667Wbzs

“GOD LOVES YOU AND I LOVE YOU AND THAT’S THE WAY IT’S GONNA BE!” – MIKE