I just read a story about a five year old child in Virginia, who apparently stabbed three people over a juice box yesterday afternoon. Two children and one adult were taken to an area hospital. Although their wounds were not life-threatening it makes you wonder, what’s going on in our world?!

I think there are at least a couple things, of which situations like this are symptomatic:

1. First, selfishness seems to be on the rise. I have no idea what the exact circumstances were in this specific incident, but selfishness seems to be at an all time high.

People are naturally selfish. And unless parents teach them otherwise, children will believe their needs and wants should be the number one priority. Anyone who has kids can tell you, it is not easy teaching children to think about others first. But we, as Christian parents, must teach our children, “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others” (Philippians 2:3-4).

Make it a priority to teach your children to consider other people “more significant” than themselves.

2) Second, the television is raising so many children today. So many parents have traded in their role of parent for the role of entertainment provider. It is no wonder that violence is on the increase, our children are consuming unhealthy amounts of television, and television is increasingly more violent. “It is estimated that by the time an average child leaves elementary school, he or she will have witnessed 8,000 murders and over 100,000 other acts of violence.”

Parents, it is becoming more and more difficult and, at the same time, more and more important that we guard the hearts of our children. As a father of two boys, I am getting closer and closer to getting rid of the television in our home. But regardless what you decide to do for your family, make sure you are guarding their hearts and minds, “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life” (Proverbs 4:23).

I love you and the God who made us guardians of our children loves you,

Wes McAdams

 

 

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