Help Children Focus on What’s Important
By Jeanne Dennis
How can you help children focus on what’s important? Parenting becomes harder every year, and we want to support you in raising your children to love and serve the Lord Jesus Christ.
Last evening I watched a movie called 25 Hill, a story about a boy whose dad gives him a soap box car kit for Christmas. They plan to build it together and have the boy race it. But his dad is deployed and dies before it can happen.
During the course of the story, the boy, Trey, needs to learn to focus on what’s important both in life and in racing. I won’t spoil the story for you by telling you more, but it’s a good family movie. There is some drinking in it, but for good reasons that become obvious later.
Just as Trey needed to learn to focus, so do all parents and children. I watched another movie last week called Captivated: Finding Freedom in a Media Captive Culture. This is a documentary I believe every parent in the West should watch. In fact, every adult. It’s that important.
Our Culture Has Lost Its Focus
As a culture, we in western civilization have lost our focus, which used to be on God. We have actually given up our rights to think clearly, reason for ourselves, and live active lives. One of the ways we have done this is by enslaving ourselves to media of every kind. And our children have followed suit. In some cases, we have let them lead the way for us, when we should have been leading them.
God gave parents and grandparents the responsibility to raise up children to love and serve Him. We teach best by example. I urge you to watch Captivated, and more than that, to refocus your life on what is most important and train your children to do the same.
In the past two years, I have lost a brother, a sister, a first cousin, and two close friends. With four children still growing up at home and one in college, my sister left much of what she planned to do undone.
How Will You Help Your Family Focus?
What would you do if you knew you only had a short few months to live? With death in view, we see more clearly what is crucial in life. None of us is promised tomorrow. Don’t put off teaching your children to live their lives well. Teach them to focus on the things of God, to want and do His will above all else. For life is but a breath. And eternity . . . well that’s forever.
Share your comments, questions, and suggestions:
- What influence has media had on your family?
- What are you doing to encourage your children or grandchildren to focus on what’s important?
- What do you think are the greatest issues parents face in raising children today?
I look forward to your input.
© Jeanne Gowen Dennis
If you would like to see the movies I mentioned using our affiliate links, click below.
25 Hill, DVD
By Echolight
25 Hill [Streaming Video Purchase]
By Corbin Bernsen / Christian Cinema
Captivated [Streaming Video Purchase]
By Phillip Telfer / Christian Cinema
Captivated [Streaming Video Rental]
By Phillip Telfer / Christian Cinema
To find links for all Heritage of Truth interviews and blog posts, go to TV and Blog by Topic or TV and Blog by Guest/Author.