the beliefs and ideas we were raised with, as well as the ones we adopt and choose to dwell on as adults. When we take time to stop and examine them, we may be surprised to discover that they drive us to respond to our children in ways that are at odds with our love for Christ and for them.
Simply put, our deepest beliefs impact how we parent, and how we parent impacts what our children will come to believe. If what they believe becomes the filter through which they interpret everything— ultimately determining how they choose to think, feel, and act— then our work is to help them develop a truthoriented filter. This will dramatically increase the odds that they will move in the direction of healthy spiritual growth rather than being led astray by the ever-changing philosophical winds of this world. We are best positioned to do that work when we first begin to confront what we truly believe.
It’ s important to emphasize what I mean by a“ truth-oriented filter.” To be clear, the truth I am talking about is God’ s truth as revealed in His Word, the Bible, not our culture or our own personal desires. Reflecting the character of God, the Word of God is eternal, unchanging, life-giving, grace-filled, and
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