CHAPTER EIGHT: Protect Your Family From Destructive Influences

YOU are about to send your little boy to school, and it is pouring rain.  How do you handle the situation?  Do you let him go skipping out the door without any rain gear? Or do you pile on so many layers of protective clothing that he can hardly move?  Of course, you do neither. You give him just what is needed to keep him dry.

In a similar way, parents must find a balanced way to protect their family from the destructive influences that rain down on them from many sources-the entertainment industry, the media, peers, and at times even the schools.  Some parents do little or nothing to shield their family. Others, viewing nearly outside influences as harmful, are so restrictive that the children feel as if they are suffocating. Is a balance possible?

Yes, it is. Being extreme is ineffective and can invite disaster.  (Ecclesiastes 7:16, 17) But how do Christian parents find the right balance in protecting their family?  Consider three areas:  education, association, and recreation.

Next time: CHAPTER EIGHT: Protect Your Family From Destructive Influences

From the book: The Secret of FAMILY HAPPINESS