Parenting by Design - August 17

Limiting Our Freedom

1 Cor 8:9:  "Be careful, however, that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak" (NIV)

Many people believe a "good" Christian lives by many rules.  In fact, the opposite is true.  A strong believer doesn't need a lot of rules.  He needs only a few guiding Biblical principles he can apply to any situation.  It is actually the weaker Christian who needs more rules because he doesn't have the wisdom and discernment necessary to apply Godly principles to difficult situations.

But, a strong Christian may give up some freedom and follow more restrictive rules so a weaker Christian will not misinterpret his actions.  In parenting, we might stay away from activities that could become stumbling blocks when seen through our kids' immature eyes.  This passage can influence our choices about alcohol, the movies we watch, even the jokes we tell.  Although we might be able to maintain a healthy balance, we don't know where our kids may be especially vulnerable to temptation.  We should sacrifice some of our privileges until our kids have the maturity to know when, where, and why to abstain,

Being a good example may require you to give up some of your freedom until your children are wise enough to exercise the same discretion.