Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Ephesians 4:14
In the midst of all sorts of waves of teaching and cultural upheaval, our children look to us to be steady.
Picture yourself in the ocean on a windy day about 5 feet from shore with waves steadily crashing in on the shore and tossing you back and forth and under the waves toward the ocean floor. As adults all we have to do is put our feet down and turn our bodies toward the oncoming waves. Facing the waves, we
can assess the size of the wave and if we can just stand strong against it or need to jump into it and ride it toward the shore.
Now picture your child 5 feet from shore with waves steadily crashing in on the shore. Your child is tossed back and forth by the waves, blown here and there by the wind. Without you to ground and
anchor your child, he could be sucked under the waves, the current could pull him further out to sea beyond your grasp, they could push him down onto the rocky ocean floor or carry him back to shore much faster and harsher than he’s prepared for.
In this scenario, what do you do? You grab hold of your child (most-likely in a life jacket) and anchor him. You do the watching of the waves. You instruct him whether to dive under the wave, stand strong against the wave, or jump up and ride the wave. He doesn’t know how to do those things on his own. So, friends, grab hold of your child, face the oncoming cultural “waves,” and assess the best approach to dealing with each wave as it comes. Don’t leave your child to be tossed around. Explain what is going on.
Explain what God says about each “wave” in the Bible and how mature believers are to deal with what is
happening because of the “waves.” Don’t allow yourself to be tossed. You are no longer an infant. You
are the parent and you were given to this child as his anchor and steady hand.
What “waves” have been particularly hard for your children this season and what can you do to better prepare them for the waves to come?