Too Young?

Parental guidance at the point of need

In our society today, it is often someone else who decides what is appropriate for your child to see, read, or learn at a particular age. Activists and librarians decide that your preschooler is mature enough to handle graphic perversion. Policy makers and publishers decide that twelve year olds (or younger) are prepared to learn the details of marital intimacy (and a lot of other possibilities). I am often shocked at what is considered appropriate movie content for a general audience, and even more so for young teens! Even Christian curriculum companies are not immune from assigning mature (and potentially dangerous) books to youngsters. One such company includes Mien Kampf by Adolf Hitler and Das Kapital by Karl Marx as required reading for young teens! Parents are the ones who should be making the decisions for their own children.

In any culture, some exposures are unavoidable. If parents are present and alert, they can provide children with context, comfort, and guidance for how to handle the new information. For example, in the early 1900s, a very young Corrie ten Boom encountered death. Suddenly, she was gripped with the fear of a death in her family. Her beloved Papa had the wisdom to ferret out his daughter’s fear and provide comfort. He said, “Corrie, when we travel on the train to Amsterdam, when do I give you your ticket?” She answered, “Just before we get on the train.” Papa replied, “And just so, when trouble comes, your loving Heavenly Father will give you what you need at the moment you need it.” A concrete example to understand a profound truth comforted little Corrie in the moment and throughout her life. She remembered that conversation when, many years later, Nazi barbarism invaded her life, took her freedom, and snatched away her loved ones into eternity. With God’s help and wisdom from His Word, you can make appropriate decisions for your children and provide them with the direction, comfort, and protection they need.

Will you STEP OUT of cultural expectations and decisions for your children? Will you STEP UP as their guides, guards, and pedagogues?