When my kids were about three and five years old, we had to ban a couple of movies from our household. They were rated “G”, they were animated, and they were made for kids…just not for my kids.
I first became aware of the negative impact that “The 101 Dalmatians” was having on my kids, when one day I found my little three-year old son jumping on the bed. As I peeked into his room, and reminded him that we don’t jump on the bed, he exclaimed “you idiot”. Cruella deVil used this term often, in the movie, to harass her henchmen Horace and Jasper, when she wasn’t impressed by their stupidity. This mom did not like her sweet little boy using that word, or treating his sister as if she was Horace or Jasper, and so “The 101 Dalmatians” immediately disappeared from our movie collection.
Around that same time, I began to notice that Alyssa and Kyle would break out into fighting, hauling out their “claws”, when they would watch “Land Before Time II”. Oh this series of movies were their favorite and kept them entertained for hours! However, in this particular movie there are a couple of “menacing egg snatchers” who were reeking havoc for Little Foot and his friends. Soon these egg-snatchers were also reeking havoc for me, as my children began acting exactly like these mean and fighting creatures. That movie was soon banned from our movie collection as well.
My kids were younger then, and the things they came across were a bit more innocent than the things that they come across now, as they are teenagers, but the principle is still the same. What they see, or watch, or hear truly has an impact on their heart and mind, and sometimes even their behavior. As a parent however, it was a whole lot easier to control their intake when they were younger. On a daily basis my kids are being bombarded by foul language, immoral acts, anger, lust, envy, or betrayal…the list going on and on. Not just on the television, but in the music they hear, the books they read, or in the friends they hang out with. There’s no way that I can be every where, all the time, watching over what their eyes see, their ears hear, or where their feet take them.The One I trust in, however, is with them every moment of every day. I pray that they learn to sense His presence with them, and when things don’t line up with His holiness, that they will be moved to make right decisions that keep their minds steadfast on Him. Lord, may the words of their mouth and the meditation of their heart be pleasing in your sight!
Lord, may your Spirit be ever near my children, as their Protector and Guide. I pray that they sense your presence in clear ways, when they come across movies, music, friends, or activities that don’t reflect your holiness. May they hear your Spirit speaking to them, when they need to walk away, or make different choices. I pray Lord, that my children’s hearts beat after your heart, and their minds reflect your mind, because they have spent time in your presence. May the words of their mouths and the meditation of their hearts be pleasing in your sight, reflecting you in everything they say and do. Lord, you are their Rock and Redeemer!
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