GODLY PARENTING IN THE DIGITAL AGE
by Benjamin Anabaraonye

 

It is the duty of parents to bring up their children in the way of the Lord. In our digital age, godly parenting has become so important in raising up a godly generation that will walk in integrity and dignity.”Training” requires a lot of efforts on the part of the parents and co-operation on the part of the children. Thus, the bible also admonishes ”Children,obey your parents in the Lord,for this is right”. Ephesians 6:1(NIV)

THE DIGITAL AGE

Media technology is here to stay and has become a permanent part of our lives. In our digital age,there is great concern about how it may be affecting our kids and youths.I believe parents can learn to embrace its  advantages,reduce its adverse effects and raise children who can still relate heart to heart with people,appreciate and participate in the beauty and wonders of nature and grow up to be well rounded,healthy,caring and compassionate adults.

The challenge for parents is to understand the benefits and pitfalls of media technology in the lives of their children and to help them create balance in their lives.

THE INTERNET AND ITS PITFALLS FOR KIDS AND YOUTHS

The chief information media in our digital age is the Internet.The Internet can be a useful tool for preaching the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ and disseminating sound,edifying materials to the body of Christ and the world at large.

However,we also find gangster films,erotic music,weird and vile ideas,pornography,etc. now common on the internet.These can affect our kids and youths negatively if they are not properly educated.

Thus,parents must evaluate their efforts at controlling what their youths consume on the internet.Parental care and control measures must be established to shield their children from the negative impact of the Internet and Media technology. Such Measures include:

 EDUCATION ON SEX ISSUES: A child’s sex education often comes through schools or churches.But a Christian parent should always be the first person to speak with their child about sex related issues.The appropriate age to discuss these matters varies from child to child but if a parent is going to err,it should be sooner than later.

Sooner or later,a child in curiosity may get to learn from the wrong sources about sex and may lead to addictions to pornography and other forms of sex abuse if they don’t get the right education on time.

For those wanting to learn more,  ”How and when to tell your kids about sex” by Stan and Brenna Jones may be helpful.

EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE: Parents should keep the environment safe for their kids.This requires a proper training on emotional intelligence for  the parents.
 Routine checks should be carried out to ensure that erotic and offensive materials are never found in the custody of their kids. Children are never to be left with people who are not fully trustworthy.If your child plays at a neighbor's home,make sure you know who is there and that a trustworthy adult is in charge.

ENCOURAGEMENT: As you share God’s standard and your concern, lavish your children with affection and encouragement. Children need large doses of affection from their parents to grow up physically, emotionally and spiritually healthy.

Many youths in their search for true love have fallen into pits of despair, addictions, sex abuse and pornography. It’s so wonderful to let them know that true love can only be found in Jesus Christ. But even if they fail,Parents can still offer a helping hand.

When offering encouragement,Parents should speak frankly-but not crassly-with biblical wisdom like the Parents in Proverbs. Take care to never shame or embarrass your child, but treat them respectfully as an emerging fellow adult.

EMPOWERMENT: Parents need to empower their kids with the right materials that will edify the mind and enhance their spiritual growth. Introduce your kids to Christian websites where inspiring articles, poems and biographies are regularly posted. Encourage them to watch Christian channels and to saturate their laptops, smart phones, i-pad with good,edifying sermons and music.Parents should also make it a point of duty to pray for their kids daily.This will go a long way in building them up.

EVANGELISM: Parents should evangelize to their children and lead them to the saving knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ while they are still tender. Our youths should also be encouraged to participate in Internet evangelism. In this way, they will be using their time productively while online. They should also learn to volunteer to do tasks that will help in positively building up the society.

We should always be reminded of our constant need for the infilling of the Holy Spirit to live a life of purity,faith and victory in our digital age.

  

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