STAY AWAY FROM POISON

Happy Tuesday, sweet Sisters!!!

Be encouraged! Fight forward! 

Poison: chemical vs. spiritual 

Dearest Ladies,

Why do we forbid our children from playing with chemicals? Why do we keep chemicals locked up or far away from our children's sphere of exploration? It's because we understand the danger of accidental use or misuse of chemicals. We love our children and we understand the sanctify of life so we children and teenager-proof our homes to keep them protected. Any good parent would do any and everything to keep their kiddos away from everyday household chemicals that could be toxic if consumed.

Sadly, some parents are NOT so discerning with spiritual poisons. Why do we assume that our children can listen to any type of music, for the sake of entertainment, and emerge unscathed? Why do we assume that they can watch any show on TV and remain faithful to walk in the ways of God? Moreover, we assume that our children can have friendships with any child, participate in any activity or holiday that strikes their fancy, or OURS, and STILL remain on fire for God. Or, we assume they can go to various compromising places and still be safe.

Sisters, we are daily bombarded with spiritual poisons. They are NOT locked away. Wickedness is prevalent. We have to keep blinders on in order to survive the onslaught. We have to reject these poisons personally and keep our children away from them. We must protect our children's ears, eyes, and minds; those are the gatekeepers of the soul. 

No one knows how many minutes of listening to a vile song or viewing a worldly TV show will strangle our kiddos' faith or plant seeds of rebellion later. No one knows how many times an event must be attended or a holiday observed before apathy and aversion to the ways of God manifest. BE CAREFUL! We MUST be prayerful and careful! 

We would NEVER, ever consider pouring bleach in our children's cereal! Nor would we fry our chicken in motor oil! We would NEVER sprinkle powdered detergent on our freshly baked cookies! We would NEVER let our children use caulk to frost a cupcake! We would NEVER make a lunch salad with poison ivy! We would NEVERRRRRR..... But, sadly, we can be a lot less discerning with spiritual poisons. Maybe because the spiritual poisons don't necessarily have skulls and bones printed on them nor do they have pungent odors. Or, maybe because they glitter and sparkle. Lord Jesus, we need you!

Oh God in Heaven, we thank you for the privilege and honor to parent our children. Father God, we are raising our children in the midst of chaos and cultural wars. We are practically raising our children in Babylon. Father God, please show us how to raise our children in the world but, not according to the ways of the world. Father, please convict our hearts of worldly influences and spiritual poisons that we need to immediately and permanently remove from our homes. Help us to always walk in Your ways, oh Lord. In Jesus' name, AMEN!

Love, blessings, and hugs