The topic for our roundtable discussion on January 14 was, "How do we balance being sent into the world, but not being of it." Based on the scriptures from John 17:15-18, we looked at both aspects of our time on earth. First, we are not of the world. Second, we are sent into it. How do these two sides of the Christian coin play out in our lives, our homes, our schooling, and our parenting?
We are not of the world. All of us agreed that belonging to the Kingdom of Christ should make our lives look different. Some of the choices that are impacted include what we listen to on the radio and what we watch on television. However, there is more than that. We choose to watch less television because we want to do better things with our time. We choose to own less because we are not reliant on material things to validate our worth. We are strong enough in Christ to walk away from areas that tempt us into sin, but which are not specifically condemned for all believers (certain tv shows, foods, music, shopping, etc.).
Not of the world is more than just our outward choices, though. It is a condition of the heart. It comes from truly seeking God's will for our lives and being able to surrender everything to him. It means asking Him in all choices, "Do you want this for me?" It is easy to become overwhelmed with legalism, especially in a sub-culture that is inundated with obsessions about what we put into our bodies (food and drink) and our minds. While it is important to be guarded, we need to remember what Christ said that it is what comes out of us that defiles us, not what goes in. We guard our bodies and minds from those things that lead us into sin, but we are not ruled by constant anxiety over every thing that we absorb.
On the other hand, we are sent out. We ought to be preparing our children to be sent out of our homes and into the "real world" Here, homeschooling can be a great benefit. One of our moms said that there is a difference between being exposed to the world and engulfed by it. Since we are homeschooling, we get to decide what exposure will occur and when it will happen. It is important to keep our children's development in mind -- as they grow, we need to give them more information and preparation so that they will be ready to leave our homes when they are adults.
One mom emphasized the job of parents to guide our children through the process of making choices (instead of making all the choices for them). Thus, they are slowly prepared for the day when they will be making decisions on their own. That day will be hard if they don't actually know the process for weighing options and making the best decision they can. She also emphasized the need for heart connections with our children. We will be sending them out, but we want them to know that they can call mom and dad for advice or just a listening ear when they are faced with tough decisions out on their own. More than just wanting them to know they can call, we want deep and true relationships with them that will cause them to desire to call us.
Several books were recommended during the discussion. They are: Raising Godly Children in an Ungodly World by Ken Ham, Loving Our Kids on Purpose by Danny Silk, and 7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess by Jen Hatmaker.
