But then there is the positive task of discipleship. Once
the walls are breached and the towers are broken down,
the soldiers must be taken. They must be led to accept the
lordship of the one who has sent us to campaign for His
glory. “Take every thought captive to obey Christ.” So not
everything is to be destroyed. Some thoughts are good. But
even good thoughts need to be pointed in the right direc-
tion. They must be put to proper use. They must be used to
serve Jesus Christ.
We need to be able to show our young people the ideas
that should dominate their thinking. We need to take the
lead in demonstrating what is good, true, and beautiful in
this world of evil, lies, and ugliness. What ideas are worth
singing about? What themes are worthy of hours of our
time? What endeavors should drive our lives? And what
does it mean to use these things for the glory of God? We
should not define Christian thinking and living primarily by
what we are against. We should define these things primarily
by what we are for—how we wish to use our thoughts and
our time in the service of Jesus Christ.
Getting Help
This is the strategy that God has given to us: refute contrary
thoughts, while dedicating other thoughts to declare the
glory of God. But keep in mind that this strategy is never
exactly the same from one generation to the next. Satan is
always upgrading the walls and towers he builds, as well as
the indoctrination he gives to those that live inside. So we
must always be improving as well. Sound challenging? It is
indeed.
That’s one reason I believe Christian education is a
marvelous gift of God’s grace. I’m obligated to raise my chil-
dren according to the strategy of 2 Corinthians 10:4-5. But,
thankfully, I do not have to do this alone. There’s a whole
host of teachers, staff, and textbooks that want to help me
break down the walls and rehabilitate the thoughts that are
inside. Since they are always improving what they do, I can
always improve what I do.
Do you need help? Don’t be afraid to ask.
Dr. Bryan Smith has worked in Christian education for over
twenty years. He has been a classroom teacher as well as a
textbook author. Currently, he serves at BJU Press as the Bible
Integration Senior Manager. In this position, he assists authors
and teachers in the work of integrating faith and learning in the
classroom. Bryan holds a Ph.D. in Old Testament Interpretation.
He and his wife, Becky, have six children.
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