By Billy Holland
Editor’s note: This column represents a milestone – Billy Holland’s 400th column. “I’m very grateful for those of you who use the column, and some of you, I’ve known since the beginning back in 2016. I appreciate hearing from you and encouraged to have you as friends.”
A child’s mind is like a sponge that is constantly absorbing more information. This can be a good thing if they are learning about God and how to develop a personal relationship with Him. Unfortunately, a Godless society along with a secular public education system moved away from the golden rules which were considered our Heavenly Father’s standard for holy and obedient living.
There was a time when taking children to Sunday School was admired by society as a normal way to lead the family into a spiritually moral and wholesome lifestyle. In the evenings the father would gather his family around and read the Bible and discuss right and wrong and how we all should live.
This family time created a trust and spiritual bond as the parents and children discussed perspectives and learned about the challenges and accountability of everyday life. We know in the eyes of God this was good, but of course, we also realize that Satan wanted to do everything he could to break this up. And he did.
When we look around today, we see that entertainment was the distraction that caused the family unit to become separated from each other and more importantly away from God. Christians were supposed to be mature and wise when it came to standing firm in their convictions, however, the carnal flesh is not an opponent to be taken lightly.
Television came into the home in the 1950s and slowly replaced conversation with an outside voice. Instead of gathering around the word of God, families gathered around one of the greatest time stealers the world has ever known. What happened to the convictions about sanctification and a determination to live pure and holy for God?
This has everything to do with guarding the mind which is connected with the conscience, but when entertainment became an idol, it gave the flesh a perfect opportunity to sit on the throne of the heart and take control. The reverential fear of God was abandoned and now instead of listening to the Holy Spirit, many were led by their emotions. Christians let their guard down, opened the door to carnal thinking, and they became lukewarm and backslidden. Who suffered the most? The children.
According to George Barna, whatever a child learns and accepts at an early age, has already been planted deep within their perspectives and ideology. “A person’s worldview is primarily shaped and is firmly in place by the time someone reaches the age of thirteen; it is refined through experience during the teen and early adult years, and then it is passed on to others during their adult life.”
The world hardly recognizes the good and bad of this reality, but the Christian should be awakened of how important it is to reach every child with the gospel. The dark side has always known that public school was a critical battleground for control over what is taught to young and impressionable minds. Why do you think the devil worked so hard to legally remove prayer, the Bible, and all Christian influences?
A parent’s love for the Lord and the passion to lead the family into a closer walk with God definitely requires willpower and perseverance. The foundation of discipline is love and a responsible parent is not afraid to fight against principalities and powers that are attempting to devour their children. Allow me to say it’s obvious the system of the great reset is targeting the young ones because all it takes is for one generation to be deceived and it will change the course of the world. It already has.
Much of what children are being taught today is a disgrace and an abomination to God and humanity. Where are the parents? The church fell asleep and now we are seeing the results of when watchmen who promise to be spiritually alert, would rather relax in the comforts of pleasure.
I have a dear friend I grew up with, and she is involved in a worldwide ministry called Child Evangelism Fellowship. I hope that some of you are familiar with this outreach, but sadly many are not. If you want to know more about it, check out their website and see if there is a field representative in your area.
Volunteer your time to tell a child about Christ, encourage your church to get involved. Every Christian has been called to be a watchman and a missionary in their network, unless they would rather do nothing.
Billy Holland is an ordained minister, author, chaplain, and worship leader. Discover more about the Christian life at billyhollandministries.com.
