Parenting by Design - June 26

Focus

Joshua 23:6:  "Be very strong; be careful to obey all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, without turning aside to the right or to the left" (NIV).

God has provided guidelines and wisdom on how we should live.  Our culture opposes these guidelines and sees God's truth as foolishness.  Early on, we are bombarded with messages telling us what our children must have or do to "be somebody".  Extravagant birthday parties, expensive gifts, violent video games, mature movies, profane music and inappropriate clothing are just a few of the ways the world attempts to feed us a large helping of compromise.

In the midst of this barrage, we can get distracted.  When we look "to the right or to the left" at choices made by other parents or our children's friends, we open ourselves up to the pressures of conformity.  We know where the truth lies.  The trick is keeping our focus on Jesus.

Discipline yourself to focus on Jesus and His truth.