By Jeri Johnson
A The Kids & Me Contributor
This year for the first time, my grandson is playing football. His mother sent me a picture of him in his uniform. Like the other players, he wore a helmet and padding to protect himself from injury. As I looked at the picture, I thought his uniform could protect his physical body, but it could not protect his heart and mind.
This society has mandated many laws to protect our children: specialized car seats until they reach a certain age, child-proof caps on medications, prohibition of passing stopped school buses, to name a few. But these laws cannot protect their hearts and minds. Only Jesus can do that.
The Bible tells us that "Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour" (1 Peter 5:8). Our children are not exempt from his efforts. In fact, many of his attacks are directly geared toward them. Television, social media, and peer pressure make them question their sexual identity. This abolishes their innocence and forces them to grow up too soon. Cellphones and the internet enable them to have associations outside their parent's knowledge and approval. When they are in challenging situations, Satan encourages them to turn to drugs and alcohol instead of the strength of their faith. And instead of embracing the fact that they are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalms 139:14), they compare themselves to their friends and members of the entertainment industry. This makes them feel inadequate.
We need to daily cover our children with prayer. Proverbs 4:23 says "Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it." This means that whatever enters our hearts will be expressed in our lives and actions, either positively or negatively. If Satan can get ahold of our children's hearts and minds, he can make them question who they are in Christ. This can lead to disobedience, anger, depression and a lack of self-worth. Just as football players need protection for their bodies, our children need protection for their hearts and mind.
In 1971, the musical group The Carpenters released a song entitled Bless the Beasts and the Children. We can pray the words of that song over our children:
Bless the beasts and the children
For in this world they have no voice
They have no choice.
Bless the beasts and the children,
For the world can never be
the world they see.
Light their way
when the darkness surrounds them.
Show them love;
Let it shine all around them.
Bless the beasts and the children;
Give them shelter from the storm;
Keep them safe:
Keep them warm.
~ Carpenters, 1971, "Bless the Beasts and the Children", https://genius.com/Carpenters-bless-the-beasts-and-the-children-lyrics
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