Some parents just gave up and hope that all will eventually be fine with their children. They give up because they don’t have answers, because they have neither the time nor the energy to stand against the consistent pressure coming from their children, because they trust their children to do the right thing, or because they don’t have the knowledge to check on where they have been or what they have been into. The communication possibilities that connect our children to secular influences are often beyond the reach of parents. Electronic communication can be a gateway to a dark and dangerous world!

The demands of modern life keep parents busy from early to late in the day, leaving little time to take care of household chores and spending enough time with children. Where parents don’t have enough time, children have too much of it. When their exposure to the secular spirit is greater than their exposure to wholesome input into their lives, they are probably heading in the wrong direction. Children are simply not equipped well enough to cope under the pressure on their lives.

How do we protect our children against the secular spirit? There are no tailor made answers since every situation is unique, but some things may be helpful:

1. Purpose in life. Discuss your child’s purpose with him/her on a regular basis. Ask them what they want to do with their lives, what they want to accomplish and where they want to go. Discover their motivational gift and take steps to develop it. Continue to point them in the right direction.
   
2. Satisfaction in life. Ask your children if they are happy with their lives, and why - or why not. The way they answer from time to time will give you good opportunities to see how they are doing and what they are looking forward to. Any problems or frustrations that arise can be dealt with as they open up to you. Regular communication will create that openness between parent and child. Both dad and mom should be involved in this conversation, sometimes as a couple and sometimes one at a time.
   
3. Direction of life. Children should understand that their lifestyle is a road that they are travelling on and that it is taking them to certain destination. Will the road that they are travelling on take them to where they want to go in life? If not, some adjustments will have to be made and parents can help them with those changes. Hold their feet to the fire by talking about their goals often. If they want to rise above the average, they will have make above average investments in education, learning, developing their talent and streamlining their lives.
   
4. Awareness. Most children and teens have no idea of the real powers that influence their lives. It is far more cool to them to know everything about the world of entertainment in its many different forms, but that is of no help whatsoever to prepare them for life. As children grow up they should develop an interest in the world of economics, politics, world affairs and such matters. An excellent way to do that is to have them watch the news with you every day. This provides excellent opportunities to discuss national and world events in the light of our values as Christians, Scripture and our way of life. Tell them why you agree or disagree with what you see. Ignorant voters make bad choices at the ballot box, and that has an impact on everybody’s life!
   
5. Choices and consequences. One of the best lessons any child can ever learn is that they create their own future by the consequences of their choices. The decisions they make mould their lives. It is their personal responsibility to craft for themselves a future that is worth living for.
   
6. You are fighting in a war. Your child is the prize that the world is fighting for. Its heart and mind is the target that the enemy is aiming his armour at. His weapons are powerful and he knows exactly how to use them. It is not going to be easy, so be ready for a few years of tough fighting. It is far better to have sleepless nights over them while they live under your roof, than when they are failing as adults.
   
7. The church wants to partner with you. You are not on your own in this battle. When we work together we can provide an alternate peer group that will have a wholesome influence on the life of your child or teen. Decide on behalf of your child to attend the activities that we have for them. Bring them. And their friends. A lively youth ministry has everlasting fruit in the lives of its members. Together we can do it!

Our young people do not have to be sucked in by the culture – there is a better way for them to live. Christian youth should know that they have an advantage above the children of the world. Let God be real to them. Build their knowledge of the Word so that they can have strong faith to overcome and be winners in this life.