Saw this on Pure Hope’s blog and found it appropriate for those of us who would like to begin discussing healthy sexuality with our children. Keep in mind that it is very difficult for the Holy Spirit to work through us to teach our kids about sexual purity, if we are sexually acting out and being sexually impure! Parents, fight the good fight to maintain your sexual purity and live by example to your children! Tomorrow’s post will give some advice to those parents who have discovered their child looking at pornography….
At the heart of our purePARENTING message is the idea that parents need to equip–not just protect–their kids as they grow up in a sexualized culture. Even before they leave the house to start life on their own, our kids are interacting with the culture outside of our presence–at school, on the bus, at practice, in friends’ homes, etc. That’s when it becomes necessary that they have been equipped to understand God’s will for them (Ephesians 5:17), to understand the lies they are exposed to (2 Corinthians 2:11), and to think and act purely in a God-honoring way (Psalm 119:9). They need to be established in a life of prayer, understanding, resolve, and engagement.
This equipping begins early (earlier than most parents realize), and should continue in age-appropriate ways. We’ve produced a brief document to assist parents in cultivating purity of heart and mind in their kids, whether their child is just learning to walk, or ready to walk through a graduation ceremony. These talking points and ideas will get you started in preparing your kids to pursue God’s purposes for their lives.
For more on equipping your kids to pursue holiness, purity, and sanctification as sexual beings bearing the image of God, check out Jim Burns’ book Teaching Your Children Healthy Sexuality: A Biblical Approach to Prepare Them for Life, which offers more insight, talking points, strategies, and conversation starters for equipping your kids in today’s culture.
