With Whom Do Your Children Spend Their Time?

Sometimes I am frowned upon by other mothers. I do not allow my children to play unsupervised. I am not the "go play in the basement while Momma fellowships" kind of Momma. I do not even allow the three of my girls to play by themselves. My children are little sinners. And when unsupervised, sin likes to find them out. And I do not want to allow sin to take root in their heart because I was too selfish and wanted some "grown-up" or "me" time.

I am also VERY particular about who I allow my children to be with right now while they are young and impressionable. They are still like wet cement. Anything that happens to them will leave an impression in them. I want their impressions to be things that are true, noble, just, pure, lovely, of good report and has virtue.

I remember so many times my parents allowed me to chose the friends I hung out with. And I know the struggles I have today as a result of things I learned, heard and did with those "friends." I do not want my children to have the same struggles.

I know that this world is not a perfect world. And there are people in the world that my children will have to encounter that do not love God, and that are not respectful people. And I will train my children on how to show God's love to them. But just as I would not chose them for a friend or to hang out with, I too want to teach my children how to pick wise friendships. Ones that will encourage and edify her and ones that she can help encourage and edify. That is not to say that you cannot share God's love with those whom you would not chose to befriend. Just be wise in whom you spend the majority of your time with. Redeeming their time wisely. Another verse.

A friend of mine has the PERFECT analogy of why it is so important to root our children in the truth of God's word at a young age before allowing them to be exposed to the world.

Bankers, when they are being trained are only trained with real money. They become so familiar with real money that they know exactly how real money sounds, feels, smells and looks. They are not given any counterfeits to work with. Only real, honest, truthful money. When they are released to work in the bank, they are so familiar and rooted in what real money is, that they can quickly and easily spot the counterfeits!

I believe it is the same way with our children. You want your child so rooted in God's word and truth, that when the enemy throws a lie at them, anything contrary to God's word would send off alarms in the child as something that is not true. At that point you can talk to the child about what that lie is, why it is a lie, and end again with God's truth.

Sometimes that means that I lose a possible friendship with another mother. Sometimes it means I am ridiculed by others. But to me, my children are worth it. I do not want to stand one day before God and have to admit that I did not do everything I could to train my children up in the fear and admonition of the Lord.