Who’s Really Training Your Children?

Should the Lord tarry, this time in history might come to be known by future generations as “The Darker Ages.” Especially over the last 50 years, there has been an ever-increasing influence of the antichrist spirit in our society as evidenced by how the majority of our prevailing institutions posture themselves against God. These “vain philosophies” are an amalgamation of the “politically correct” positions of the educational system, the healthcare (disease care) and food industries, the liberal news media, the government and the entertainment industry. All of these institutions have adopted anti-God worldviews, and scripture warns us against yoking ourselves to such unholy alliances. Do not team up with those who are unbelievers. How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness (2 Corinthians 6:14)? We must come out and be holy. We must create separation from these wicked “Babylonian” systems.

Children born today and in the previous generation are being raised in the most difficult spiritual climate in history. This generation has been called the “Y” generation, and more recently referred to as the “iY” generation due to Apple’s massive cultural influence. This generation is being raised on the internet and by electronics. It might become known as “generation text” because it is not uncommon to witness the youth texting (in some new adulterated language) to their friends who are standing next to them, or even sitting in the same car. Children are becoming unwitting and yet willing slaves to a virtual world that lies to them, steals their innocence and leads them into a world of entertainment distraction that robs their time and health.

One of the greatest diversions for today’s youth is video games. Here are some recent statistics to help us realize just how pervasive this one form of amusement can be: according to a Harris Poll, the average teenager spends 13 hours per week playing video games, and those who game spend 30 percent less time reading and 34 percent less time doing homework than the average non-gamer. 83 percent of young people aged 8 to 18 have access to a game-player in their own home. About half of all teens have a video game system in their bedroom. About eight percent of video game players reported that their game playing made them feel dominated by the demands of the game, made them seek increased levels of stimulation to continue playing, caused them to experience withdrawal symptoms when they were unable to play, brought them into conflict with other individuals and reported that they were unable to quit playing the games (and those are just the ones who are aware and willing to admit any issues). And with all these risks, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation, only about one in five game players have parents who set any rules about which games are and are not allowed to be played.

The consequences of this obsession with the virtual world of entertainment are more than just robbing our children’s time and education.Their eyesight and hearing are being damaged by nonstop video game playing, smartphone chatting, TV viewing and headphone usage. Their fitness level is suffering as they tend toward more sedentary virtual activities instead of real physical ones. Please, let’s wake up! Wii tennis is not the same as real tennis. Can we all agree? Approximately 17 percent of U.S. children and adolescents aged two to 19 years are obese (12.5 million of them). After analyzing three billion insurance claims, the Health Care Cost Institute details how out-of-pocket health care expenses are growing fastest among Americans 18 and under. Between 2009 and 2010, it rose 4.5 percent for children of those ages. And this trend has been increasing since 2007, as our children become sicker and sicker.  Of course it is not all due to video games; costs are escalating also because of increased levels of childhood obesity, cancer, diabetes and asthma. But the entire world of electronics is contributing in such profound ways to increasing physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health concerns that it must demand our attention.

Chronic exposure to even low-level radiation (electromagnetic fields) can cause a variety of cancers, impair immunity and contribute to Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, heart disease and many other ailments. These electromagnetic fields (EMFs) are largely by-products of electronics, such as modern energy-efficient appliances, televisions, stereos and other entertainment devices (cell phones and video games). Additionally, every single study of brain tumors that looks at 10 or more years of cell phone use shows an increased risk of brain cancer. Children are far more vulnerable to cell phone radiation than adults because of their thinner skull bones and still developing immune and neurological systems. Also, early research is showing that using a laptop computer on the lap, instead of a desk,  may be implicated in risks to reproductive health showing a decrease in sperm motility and an increase in sperm DNA fragmentation.

Martin Blank, PhD, of Columbia University is one of the most experienced researchers of the cellular and molecular effects of EMFs in the United States and is adamant when he says that there is evidence that EMFs damage DNA and that the harm can be significant. It simply makes sense that laptops, cell phones and other wireless technology can impact the human body once you understand that your body is bioelectric.

So, who is primarily responsible for these increased health risks to our children that come from obesity, cancer, diabetes, asthma and exposure to EMFs? To give you a “spoonful of sugar to help the medicine go down”, let’s first stand on a favorite scripture for encouragement. There is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1). Okay, now that you have your sugarcoating, here is the answer.You, the parent,are responsible. You are the ones who have been gifted with the children and the responsibility to steward their lives; thus, all of these health issues are directly linked to lifestyle choices.

Psalm 127:3 states that children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him. And God’s gifts and His call can never be withdrawn (Romans 11:29). We need to train our children so that they are able to recognize the lies of the enemy. He prowls around like a hungry and vicious lion seeking to devour them. It is a certainty that Satan supports the systems that foster an anti-God worldview and it is even likely that he created them. He is the father of lies and any system speaking lies is his offspring – the anti-God educational system, health, disease and food industries, liberal news media, government, and the entertainment industry all need to be on your “Christian radar.” Your children need to be equipped and trained to distinguish the lies from the truth.

For the Christian, it all comes down to using the Bible to educate their children. Our worldview needs to emanate from the scriptures as we train the next generation. Deuteronomy 6:6-9 teaches us to commit ourselves wholeheartedly to God’s instructions. It implores us to repeat His instructions again and again to our children and exhorts us to talk about them when we are at home, when we are on the road, when we are going to bed and when we are getting up. It uses a word picture to demonstrate just how close God’s words should be to us day and night. It says to tie them to our hands, wear them on our foreheads and write them on the doorposts of our homes and on our gates. God’s Word should be fused to our bodies and to our homes as a constant reminder of the foundation on which we should establish our worldview. Paul confirmed this view when he wrote to Timothy that all Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.God uses it to prepare and equip His people to do every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

As a Bible-believing Christian, the question you must ask yourself is this:  is there any life decision you make for yourself or in the stewardship of your children that can be safely decided outside the guidelines of God’s Word? Of course it is possible to learn or consider something that is not directly taught in the Bible, but isn’t it true that there is nothing “new under the sun” that cannot at least be measured by biblical standards? Simply put, anything and everything can be measured against the Word of God and determined to be either consistent with it or not! And that is how you must educate your families. Use God’s Word in every way to nourish the body, soul and spirit.

The beauty of this worldview is that it comes with a promise handed down from our heavenly Father. Direct your children onto the right path,and when they are older, they will not leave it(Proverbs 22:6). There is only one true path, and that is the one guided by His Word. Use it as your beacon as you educate your children. Use it to help create their worldview (and yours) in every area of life. Use it as your health curriculum and for dietary guidelines, as well as your faith textbook.  And use it as your parenting manual, your marriage therapist and to help influence your politics. Let it pervade every part of your life so that it spills over into your children. Teach them when they rise up and when they lie down in bed at night, and every moment in between, that every choice in life can be guided by God’s Word. Become a student of His Word yourself, and your children will follow your example. And as the Proverb says, when they face the challenges of life they will learn to trust in the LORD with all their hearts, not depend on their own understanding. They will learn to seek His will in all they do, and He will show them which path to take.

So, who or what is really training your children? Stop letting the world dominate their education and entertainment. Instead, instill in them a biblical worldview that prepares them to succeed in this life, and more importantly, gives them a place at the feet of Jesus Christ in the kingdom to come. Tell Satan, “Game Over!”

Dr. Jeff Hazim is a Chiropractor and nutritional counselor practicing in Ft. Lauderdale (www.TheBrowardCenter.com), and Executive Director of “Biblical Health Television”, the only TV network devoted to Biblical Health (www.BiblicalHealth.tv).  Weekly Radio Broadcasts:  www.BlogTalkRadio.com/BiblicalHealth

What are you doing to help raise up the next generation? How do you help your children focus on God’s Word instead of worldly influences? We want to know! Email us at [email protected]

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