One of my biggest pet peeves is laziness. Don’t get me wrong, I have my fair share of lazy moments. But it’s things like not throwing away trash, someone leaving trash next to the trashcan in the bathroom, my kids doing their work halfway, a coworker not taking a few extra minutes to put something away…well, these things just annoy me. Which also means I sometimes annoy myself because I can have 20 things to get done in a day and choose to sit and binge watch a show for way longer than I care to admit right now. It’s my own fault, of course, when I’m then panicking at something needing to be done at the last minute.This past weekend, I was a guest on a show called The C.R.O.S.S. You can watch the replay HERE.Part of that conversation, we brought up the point of how our kids are going to learn things, whether we want them to or not, and there are some topics that are not appropriate – no matter who tells you otherwise – that should not be learned at school. The problem is we have become a generation that has this idea that our kids are going to be exposed to and learn about things that are just a part of growing up in the world today. We have accepted the lie that it is normal for our children to figure things out on their own.But that, in my opinion, is lazy parenting. Are there some things we can’t control? Yes. Are there things our kids will learn from someone other than us? Also yes. But does that mean we sit back on the couch with our feet propped up, throwing our hands in the air like “well, I learned that way and I turned out just fine.” But did you really? When you look at your past, all the experiences and lessons learned, then when you look at where you are in your life right now…are there things you hope differently for your kids than what turned out to be true for you? I’m not talking about just one thing…I’m talking about your education, your job, your health, your spiritual walk, your relationships…if you turned out perfectly, then congratulations. However, for the vast majority of people, we all have things that we are reaping the consequences of based on how we were raised and the exposures we had.Now, hold with me. I don’t want you to get the idea that you are in a place now that was not meant for you to be. Because that goes against everything else I’ve ever said here on the podcast, right? The idea that we are here for a reason, we have been chosen for this time, and there is nothing that has been a surprise to God. This is all true. Yet at the same time, it is also true that we are not called to say “oh, well, I did the things, learned the habits, experienced the consequences, and turned out to be in a place where I was supposed to be so my kids can do the same.”We are not called to be passive parents. Brains are not fully developed until we are in our 20’s. For all you science lovers, that’s a scientific fact. So, why would we hold an underdeveloped brain to the same standard of making decisions and learning things as we do as adults? We’ve been discussing the topic of Raising Warriors and I want to make something clear. Raising Warriors doesn’t mean raising children to learn how to fight. In Exodus 14:14, the Lord is speaking to the Israelites and says “The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.” We don’t have to worry or fret over how the battle against evil will be won. See, Jesus already took care of that for us. Do we still have daily battles we have to face? Absolutely. But are we supposed to be fighting them on our own or expecting our children? Of course not. When it comes to fighting the evil in this world, it is so much more than knowing right from wrong. It is more than being taught that love is love or love your neighbor by doing what you’re told. It is more than being dragged to church on Sunday and forced to say prayer at the dinner table. The armor of God includes a shield of faith, to withstand the evil that is thrown at us. How will our children know how to protect themselves from evil if we don’t tell them as well as show them? Do you really want the world telling your kid how to stand up against the devil? Because when we know and have faith, it doesn’t matter what is thrown at us, we can push back in confidence that the Lord is fighting for us and our faith in Him will not be in vain. Teaching our children to have faith in God can sometimes feel like an impossible thing. Especially when we struggle, ourselves, to have faith in all circumstances.We all struggle. Our faith struggles. But you know what? We can go back to things we DO know…faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. We are told that we need only have faith the size of mustard seed. Do you know how small that is? A mustard seed is about 1 to 2 millimeters in diameter. If you aren’t sure of the comparison, look it up compared to a penny. It’s not but a blip. If our faith can move mountains and need only be the size of a mustard seed, and if faith is our shield…even when we stumble in our faith, if it is STILL THERE, no matter how small, we can stand against evil.We want our children to be protected, right? We want them protected against getting hurt, viruses, illness, bullies, people that want to harm them. We can do a lot of that for them when they are little. However, as they grow, it becomes more apparent that as they become more independent that they need to know how to protect themselves.How many times have we let our own children down? I don’t know about you, but I feel like I fail a LOT. But if I…if we…can raise a child to learn how to walk, eat, climb, ride a bike, drive a car, do laundry, mow the grass, apologize, be kind…then we can also have faith that God is working for us…He is fighting for us…He is teaching us…so that our faith can grow and we can take that shield up in confidence to protect from attacks.Not only that, but we are then able to lead our children to do the same. To take up their shields of faith. They may start out tiny, but IF we are active in our parenting, deliberate in our decisions, and strong in the middle of adversity…they will see what it means to be a warrior. You may be saying, “this is all great, Courtney, but HOW do I do that? HOW do I teach them to have faith, to take up their shields, to trust in God?”And I would be lying if I said I had all the answers. I would be lying if I said I was doing it all right. But I can tell you some things we are doing that I hope and pray will have a positive impact for my children’s future.Every thing we do. The choices we make. The words we say. The things we allow our children to be exposed to. It all affects their faith just like it affects ours. And if you think your child is past the point of being influenced by you, I ask you, do you think the world is still influencing them? If so, then keep going. Keep fighting for them. If you think you’ve already totally screwed up on your parenting, that is NOT the Lord giving you those thoughts. I am 100% sure.Our children are put in our care not just to say “thanks God” before tossing them into the world to be eaten. They are put in our care to teach them, show them, guide them in raising their shields of faith to push back against the devil. To believe and know WHO is ultimately in control, no matter what doubts come their way. Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go. Those words are found in Joshua, chapter 1, verse 9. You are raising warriors…don’t be a passive parent. Be an active parent. Be strong and have courage. Take up your shield of faith and teach your children to do the same.Find me on FacebookFind me on Instagram (I am currently doing a giveaway through Dec 20th over on my Instagram)
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