The average person today consumes about 74 GB of information per day - roughly equivalent to watching 16 movies daily. We spend over 6 hours per day online. We check our smartphones over 100 times a day. We receive dozens of notifications everyday. The truth is - we live in a world of constant information overload. In a world where we are constantly being bombarded, both consciously and unconsciously, with different viewpoints, perspectives, and more - how are we to remain faithful? How can we, as leaders in our homes, stay focused on what really matters? How can we teach our children to hold fast to the truth, the real truth, the objective truth of God?
I do not yet have children, but I can say with 100% confidence that spiritual formation in our children is difficult. It is hard to help shape them into young men and women who love Christ and others. It is especially tough when they (and we) are swimming in a sea of information that we don’t know what to do with. We have to find some way to filter what’s wrong-headed and focus on what is good. Philippians 4:8 says, “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”
One of the best ways that we can approach not only our children’s spiritual formation, but our own, is by thinking about our own worldview. A worldview is essentially a mental map of reality. A Christian worldview, for example, understands that truth comes from God, there is a spiritual realm, we are created by a loving God, and that we will all either end up in heaven or hell. This worldview helps us think through how we interact with the world around us and interpret events, ideas, and theories. The reality is that what we believe - if we really believe it - should dramatically change the way we see the world and live in it. Asking ourselves the difficult questions and exploring the reasons for why we believe what we believe will lead to a healthy and maturing faith for our families.
Many parents, for good reason, want to protect their children from hearing falsehood and opposing views. However, at a certain point, we need to help them understand that not everyone sees the world as we do, but we can have confidence in our worldview because it is built on an unshakable foundation. I encourage you to ask the hard questions, explore the underlying doubts, and challenge your kids to answer: “Why are you a Christian,” or “Why should you be a Christian?” If we aren’t preparing our kids to answer this question now, their faith is more likely to crumble as they age and live in this hostile world.
The resource that I’ve linked below is a website called “Foundation Worldview.” They do all sorts of things, ranging from curriculums to videos to podcasts and blogs. I only came across this resource recently, but I am very impressed with it. I would highly encourage you to check it out and see if it can be used as a tool in your family discipleship.
I hope that you all have a blessed April as we celebrate the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. What hope we have in the Gospel!
Blessings,
Julian Marcel | Pastor of Children’s Ministry | Hessel Church | julian@hessel.org
This site is a one-stop shop for curriculum (that can be used in-home) as well as blogs, podcasts, and more! From their mission statement: "Empower Your Child to Think Biblically in a Deceptive World." The more we engage with our children's thinking, questions, doubts, and view of reality, the more they will be equipped to handle all that life has to throw their way. Check it out!