I know that the above statement is contradictory to everything society teaches us. We are taught at a very young age to trust our heart and follow it. But does our heart really know what we need? Why should we trust it?
Jeremiah 17: 9 Says that “The heart is more deceitful than anything else, and incurable- who can
trust it.”
Proverbs 4:23 says that we should “Guard our heart above all else, for it is the source of life.”
What should we trust or follow if not our heart?
We should follow the conviction of the Holy Spirit. We should also check if it lines up with what God has to say in the bible. If God is against it, we and our children should not be participating in it. People around us might think that it is alright to do something just because everyone else is doing it but we need to follow what the world of God says.
How can we teach our children to guard their hearts?
1. Our children need to know the word of God. A great way to teach them the word of God is to do bible lessons with them and encourage them to memorize bible verses. My children attended Awana. At Awana children spend time memorizing the word of God. My 6 year old asks me to help her with her verses everyday. For more information about Awana visit
www.awana.org
2. Our children need to spend time with God. They can do this by spending time in prayer, reading the bible, and worship God through singing. Young children can spend time drawing while listening to Christian music. They can also spend time outside admiring and thanking God for all the wonderful things he has created.
3. Our children need to know what is allowed and what isn’t. They also need to know that some things are better not to participate in. 1 Corinthians 10: 23-24 ” Everything is permissible’ – but not everything is beneficial. ‘Everything is permissible’- but not everything is constructive. Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others,”
Also knowing the 10 commandments is important for children to know.
1. Love God more than you love anything else.
2. Don’t make anything in your life more important than God.
3.Always say Gods name with love and respect.
4.Honor the lord by resting on the seventh day of the week.
5.Love and respect your mom and dad.
6.Never hurt anyone.
7.Always be faithful to your husband or wife.
8. Don’t take anything that isn’t yours.
9.Always tell the truth.
10. Be happy with what you have. Don’t wish for other peoples things.
4. We need to be careful with what we let our watch and listen to. “On average, children ages 2-5 spend 32 hours a week in front of a TV. Children see their favorite characters smoking, drinking, and involved in sexual situations and other risky behaviors. Also, two-thirds of programming contains violence.” When our children watch these images over and over, they start to believe that these types of things are normal. We need to teach our children to guard their eyes and ears from that which is not good. A great idea is to talk about what is being watched. Try to explain why something is not acceptable to do or say instead of just telling them not to do or saying something.
Check out….http://www.med.umich.edu/yourchild/topics/tv.htm
