What’s Your Influence?
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Resource Recommendations to Help You Parent and Mentor Most Effectively
"It is a great mercy to young people... to be under good direction, and to have those about them that will instruct them to do that which is right in the sight of the Lord..."
Matthew Henry's Commentary on 2 Kings 12:2
I've Been Thinking...
While reading 2 Kings 12 yesterday, the clear and direct connection between Jehoiada's instruction and Joash's actions stood out: "Joash did what was right in the eyes of the Lord all the years Jehoiada the priest instructed him."
It got me thinking... Are we faithfully, intentionally, and systematically instructing youth today like Jehoiada instructed Joash? Who else is instructing youth today, and in what direction are they leading them?
While parents, grandparents, youth pastors, coaches, and mentors are obvious instructors, there are also not-so-obvious ones. As Walt Mueller from CPYU (the Center for Parent/Youth Understanding) has said, "Culture catechizes our kids, teaching them what to believe and how to live, often in ways that are contrary to the Gospel." Most teens spend several hours a day being instructed by videos they watch, games they play, and influencers they follow.
If you have young people in your life, do you know who their online "instructors" are and in which direction they're leading them? If not, I'd encourage you to have a friendly conversation with them, showing genuine interest in learning about their favorite YouTube videos, the video games they play most frequently, and the influencers they wish they could be like. Ask them what/who their friends watch, play, and follow too. Later, look up as many of them as you can online. Are their instructors who/what you'd want if they were involved in their life in person?
For video games, go to YouTube and type in the name of the game and then "gameplay"; for example, you could type in "Call of Duty gameplay," and you can see how the game is played. For influencers, google them, follow them on your own social media, etc. You'll be more informed for any follow-up conversations.
While good instruction doesn't guarantee good actions, it certainly makes them more likely. It was true 2800 years ago and it's still true today!
A Perfect Example...
While I wrote most of this email earlier this week, I saw an excellent example this morning of young people being "instructed" online. This 10-minute video from last night's Ingraham Angle is titled "Young people are learning degrading practices from the porn industry." Violent porn is the sex ed instructor for most teens with mobile devices (including in Christian schools). I don't know any adult who wants this to be true, but it IS the sad reality. If adults want children to have phones but don't want the porn industry to be their instructors, I highly suggest alternatives like the Bark Phone and the Bark Watch instead of iPhones (notoriously bad for protecting youth) and Androids (close behind).
Buy It Here
Are you looking for a teen devotional for a Christmas present? Here are a few I've recommended!