UPSTREAM OR DOWNSTREAM?

1 John 5:19 ESV tells us that, "The whole world lies in the power of the evil one." If this world is in the grip of the evil one, how do we live without getting pulled into its grip? How do we keep our children from its control? We've got to swim upstream.

It's not easy to swim upstream, is it? It takes all your effort. The moment we relax, we start floating downstream again, away with the current of the evil one. That's why we have to constantly fight the good fight of faith. We must fight it ourselves, and for our family. We must teach our children the principles of swimming upstream.

As children get older, and especially into their teens, they are prone to being swept into the current of this world system. We must teach from a young age how to constantly fight the battle and swim upstream.

Here are some pointers:

1. Penetrate your children with a godly and biblical worldview. How they live and think is determined by their worldview. Remember, the public education system teaches your children a humanistic worldview.
2. Teach them to pray. Establish daily prayer times with your children.
3. Fill them with God's Word. Don't let anything deter you from Family Devotions each day with your family.
4. Regular fellowship with the people of God (Hebrews 10:25).
5. Teach them to say no to the flesh and the devil and yield to Christ who dwells within them.

What will take them, and even ourselves, downstream?

1. Compromising with the world (1 John 2:15-17).
2. Tolerating sin. God does not tell us to tolerate, but to obliterate! Ephesians 5:22 says, "Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather REPROVE them."
3. Undisciplined time with media.
4. No daily habit of prayer and reading God's Word.
5. Hanging around with the wrong company. Proverbs 13:20 says, "He that walks with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed." I raised my children on this Scripture. Young people will go the way of those they hang around with. Guide them into wise company.

Are you a swimming upstream family, or merrily floating downstream with the current of this world. Remember, when you are floating, you don't even realize you are going downstream until it is too late.

Blessings from Nancy Campbell