What are some common temptations parents and families face?
- Sunday morning struggles. It seems that Satan often comes into our homes on Sunday mornings in order to make the Lord’s Day a day of struggle. So pray, rise early, and be patient.
- Pressure from other people (other church members, Christian grandparents, etc.) to baptize your children. Resist such outward pressure. Instead, look for and test for a credible profession of faith in your child (Prov. 22:15).
- Threats to the parents’ authority and the family’s unity. Satan is a divider and always attacks authority. In your home, fight for unity around the gospel.
- For mothers, the “I-can-do-it-all superwoman” mindset. This is at best a myth and at worst a lie from hell (Matt. 6:24, Luke 10:40-41).
- Sporting events on Sundays. Decide while your children are young that you will not allow the growing all-weekend sports phenomenon to usurp your worship.
- The Christian bubble. Arming your children for the world doesn’t necessarily mean shielding them from it. Consider getting your high-school-aged children out of the Christian bubble.
- Leaving discipleship to the church and Sunday school. The Bible charges parents to train their children in the discipline and nurture of the Lord (Eph. 6:4). This is not a responsibility they can simply farm out to the church.
(This material has been adapted from Matt and Elizabeth Schmucker’s article, “39 Lessons, 20 Tips and 10 Don’ts for Parenting”)