Can I ask you a question? If your children are in public school, do you know their friends and who they hang out with? Are they children or teens who fear the Lord and follow after His truth? What about their teachers who are influencing them daily? Are they keepers of the truths of the Bible or filled with humanist ideology?
The psalmist confessed: “I am a companion of all them that fear thee, and of them that keep thy precepts” (Psalm 119:63).
We are influenced by the people we keep company with, even as adults. What about our children? They are influenced even more by the company they keep. You can be the greatest parent in the world, but if your children start hanging around with ungodly friends, they influence your children more than you. I raised my children on Proverbs 13:20: “He that walks with wise men shall be wise, but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.”
Can I encourage you dear mother that if your children do not have godly friends who fear the Lord in their school environment to take them out of school. Although you also need wisdom regarding “Christian” friends these days.
Now I know I am going to be bombarded with those who say they send their children to school to be a witness. That sounds such a good idea, but it doesn’t always work. When planting a sapling that we want to one day be strong tree, we must protect it from the winds and elements. I have to confess to my shame that I lost many trees I planted because I didn’t protect them adequately.
We don’t send our saplings out to be brainwashed by the enemy with humanist propaganda, ungodly teaching, and to be taught to accept abominable practices as though they were normal. We first of all ground our children in the truth. We make sure they are strong in the Lord and in His Word and able to contend for their faith. We get them ready before we send them out. We are not getting them ready for hibernation, but for the revelation of God to the world. But they better be strong first. And they better not just look like Christians and yet have minds filled with humanism! The current church of God is filled with humanist thinkers.
Teens especially long for friends, but they better be surrounded by godly companions! This is what the Bible says to do so we had better take notice. 1 Corinthians 15:33 (HCSB): “Do not be deceived: ‘Bad company corrupts good morals.’”
Make it a daily prayer with your husband that God will provide godly friends for your children and teens.
Blessings to you today from Nancy Campbell
Check out Psalm 1:1-3; 26:4; Proverbs 14:7; Matthew 18:6; 1 Corinthians 5:6; 2 Corinthians 6:14-18; and Ephesians 5:11.