Follow Your Dreams... and Other Cultural Doctrines

I cheer for Marvel superheroes and sing along to some pop songs. But I’m equally convicted that as God’s daughters and as moms to the next generation, we must be vigilant about the media we consume. Movies, sitcoms, pop songs, and social media are constantly teaching our souls. 

Screens convince us:

• We don’t have enough to be beautiful and content.

• We are entitled to follow our dreams without realizing that our purpose in life is not living for ourselves and without considering the needs of those around us.

• It is normal to defy the living God and disregard His instructions, that He deserves to be questioned and rejected.

• That people get to heaven based on how good they are.

• That we can build our own worldly success without the help of others and the joy of teamwork.

• That the only measure of humans is what they earn and own. 

• That it’s wrong to align oneself with the moral absolutes taught in the Bible because it’s mean to tell people they’re making immoral choices.

To fight against the indoctrination of our culture:

• Make sure you are teaching your children the full truth of God’s Word daily. Don’t just take them to church. Read Scripture and pray together in your home. Talk about hard questions. Talk about time-tested, millennia-debated doctrines of the Christian faith.

• Talk about why and how to serve—and serve. You can’t do everything, but prayerfully choose something your family can do to make a difference in others’ lives.

• Value people from all nations, religions, moral backgrounds, races, and age groups. Have friends from all walks of life and pray for them regularly as a family to come to know Jesus as their Savior.

• In seasons of disappointment, ask what you and your family/child need and want. Ask what will make you feel satisfied to get to the root of discontentment. If your need is from a sincere place of sorrow, pray together and model Christ-like waiting. If your wish is from a place of prideful wanting, model repentance.

• Actively talk about our purpose in life as believers: to know God, to grow in Christlikeness, to develop and use our gifts for His glory and the benefit of God’s people, and to tell lost people the good news of salvation. While good grades and professional achievements are part of healthy growth and development, don’t prioritize personal accolades over God’s ultimate reason for making you.

• Teach your child that it’s okay not to be liked. Work on learning to be unafraid of rejection, especially rejection that comes because of spiritual conviction.

• Teach your child that Jesus is the only way he/she or anyone can be saved—it is not based on our own effort or goodness. 

What cultural lies have you caught yourself building your life on? Share them with me!