Caesar's Children

I don't want to lay a guilt trip on everyone with this one but Voddie Baucham makes one of those clarion call statements that needs to be on everyone's radar.  Voddie states that if we send our children to Caesar's schools why are we surprised when we end up with Caesar's children.  Obviously, he would like all children in Christian schools, as would most parents - another blog on that.  The point though, is that one of the many things that we as parents must do is make sure the balance of power as far as influences go, is not the world but Christ.  Your child probably spends at least 50 hours a week in school activities and another 20 in worldly sponsored media.  At best, your child spends five, that is 5, in church related functions.  Not to despair.  God has designed children so that parental input has much, much more salience to children than church or school.  However, you have to use that influence.  In Christian Smith's book Soul Searching, it is clear that running a close second to parents, hanging out with a Christian peer group is a major predictor of faith perseverance.  Your child really must find a sense of belonging in a Christian social network.  That is your job since they can't drive or choose wisely.  If they understand from you that your choices of influence for them are TV and soccer on Sunday and inappropriate movies or video games then that is where they will begin to believe they belong.  If your child can't go to a Christian school or you want them in public school that is not a big problem.  The big problem lies in what else they do and your conversations about their school experience.

Maslow

Not to diss Maslow to heavily because I think he is right that it is hard to teach an empty belly but the world's formation leads us to press into our worldly needs first in the belief that only after those are met can we develop fully as a person.  The counter-formation needed here is that self-actualization (by which I will define as becoming a mature Christian) is the first priority.  So turn Maslow's pyramid on its head and I think you have it just about right -"seek ye first...."  By putting ourselves (allowing ourselves to be put) in Christ's story and not our story, we discover that our lower needs get their proper inattention.  Also, in this upside down kingdom of Christ, having the foundation of Christ's story and our being a part of it (level 1) completes our self-esteem needs (level 2) and then provides us with belonging (level 3) and the needs of safety (level 4) and biological needs (level 5) don't consume our attention.  Freedom.