Over Christmas break I spent a lot of time in the van with my kids and their friends. These rides offered valuable glimpses into their worlds as I listened to their chatter.
One consistent undertone in their conversations was ONEUPMANSHIP. Maybe this was especially obvious because we just got done with the gift-giving frenzy that is Christmas. I heard it among 9 year old boys and 5 year old girls alike. Who got what, who has the better video game system, whose video game system cost the most, whose dad has the most money, whose grandpa has the biggest house, who is going on the best vacation, and on and on.
It hit me! By having my ear to the ground, I uncovered a real-life, relevant issue that kids are facing. How can we show kids what the Bible has to say about contentment, materialism, selfishness and bragging? How can we help them become more like Jesus by applying His teachings to a situation like this?
Keeping up on pop-culture and technology is important. But if we really want to affect kids in significant ways, we need to keep up with the issues that they are facing while they are driving in carpools, playing at recess and interacting with their siblings.
Do you have places where you can keep your ear to the ground to hear what kids are facing? Get yourself near a group of kids. Listen. Don't interrupt. Don't ask questions. Don't direct the conversation. Listen to their words and listen between the lines. You may just find that keeping your ear to the ground gives you some great teaching topics as well as lots to pray about!
Thursday, January 03, 2008
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2 comments:
Good Point! A lot of times when I have a lot of kids in my van I try to tune them out. But it is hard to teach them biblical values in such a materialistic society. And most Christians are driven by materialism without even realizing it. When our kids get money, they want to go spend it right away. We always say - why not save your money - you don't have to spend it all right now. But when we get extra money, we do the exact same thing. And adults are all about the biggest TV, the biggest SUV etc. So I think I need to examine my own life and changes I need to make along with helping my kids realize that oneupping and bragging isn't WWJD. Thanks for a good post!
Cool moment!
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