COMBATTING BAD IDEAS
We are constantly at war against bad ideas in this world. We encounter bad ideas on TV, on social media, in the lyrics of the music playing at our favorite restaurant, and from the mouths of people around us. You’ve heard them: “Do what makes you happy!” “Find your own truth!” “I deserve this!”
As mothers, it’s our God-given instinct to nurture and protect our children. How can we combat the lies of our culture that are hurled at our families on a daily basis? With prayer, Biblical wisdom, and discernment, God can help us through!
A PRACTICAL STRATEGY
One practical strategy for practicing discernment is through the ROAR method. The popular book and website, Mama Bear Apologetics, coined this method. It is a tool we can use to identify a worldly message and analyze its ideas with grace and truth.
- Recognize the message
- Movies, TV, books, commercials, etc. all have a message that they are conveying to their audience. As you experience these forms of entertainment with your kids, practice identifying their messages together.
- Offer discernment
- Affirm the good and reject the bad. In regard to prophesies, Paul says to, “test everything; hold fast to what is good. Abstain from every form of evil.” (1 Thessalonians 5:21-22). We can apply Paul’s advice and test every message we hear. Model to your kids how to chew on a message, swallow the good (if there is any), and spit out the bad.
- Argue for a healthier approach
- When we encounter a message that is contrary to God’s truth (a.k.a. THE truth), we can use His word to counter with a healthier message.
- Reinforce through discussion, discipleship, and prayer
- What is the intent behind their message? Does God speak on this topic? What does the Bible say about this? Encourage kids to ask the hard questions! Its okay to say “let’s study and pray on this together” when we don’t have the perfect answer.
Happy ROARing, Moms!
