This episode’s question comes from Bradley in Las Vegas, Nevada:

Question:

"You’ve talked about the challenges of parenting in a culture of hurry and hostility. But what about the part of culture that seems to be getting more hopeless? How can we raise our kids to have hope in a world that feels like things are only getting worse?"

The Goal:
Instilling hope in our children, despite the increasing hopelessness in the world. While cultural despair is real, it doesn't need to infiltrate our homes. By aligning our perspective with God's truth, we can offer hope to our kids.

Common Misconceptions:
Many people believe the world is worse now than ever before, but biblically, there's nothing new under the sun. What’s changing is our perspective, not necessarily the state of the world.

How to Stay on Track in Parenting:

1. Perspective Matters:
   • The biblical worldview tells us that while challenges are real, this isn’t the worst the world has ever been. Wars, famines, and hardship have always existed, but today’s hyper-connected media amplifies fear and anxiety.
   • It's essential to shift our focus from the gloom to the bigger picture of God's plan, much like the analogy of holding a credit card close to your face—when it's too close, it's all you see, but when you step back, the world becomes clearer.
2. Anxiety is Caught and Taught:
   • If we’re anxious, our kids will be too. Children pick up on our emotions and responses. While anxiety is real and should not be minimized, we must recognize its contagious nature and be intentional about creating an environment of calm and trust.
   • Jesus himself spoke frequently about fear, reminding us to “be anxious for nothing,” and that anxiety is not an outgrowth of the Holy Spirit.
3. We Don’t Have to Play the Game of Hopelessness:
   • Though the world is filled with fear and hopelessness, as followers of Christ, we’re invited to live differently. We are called to a life of hope, grounded in God’s promises, not in the shifting circumstances of the world.
   • Parenting with this perspective can set our children free from the fears that dominate culture, allowing them to grow with hope and confidence in God's ultimate control.

Favorite Quotes from This Episode

• "Anxiety is caught and taught. If a parent is anxious, so will a kid be."
• "Just because hopelessness is part of the culture doesn’t mean it has to be part of your family."
• "Our world isn’t worse than it’s ever been. It’s our perspective that’s gotten worse."
• "Jesus said, ‘Do not be afraid,’ not because the world wasn’t hard, but because God is bigger than the world's problems."
• "Anxiousness is not a fruit of the Spirit."

Key Points Takeaways:

• The world isn't worse than ever, but our perspective often makes it seem that way. Shifting our focus allows us to raise children who see beyond the immediate chaos.
• Children learn anxiety from their parents. Being open about our struggles while pointing to hope in God’s promises helps our kids navigate a world full of fear.
• God offers a life of hope: We are not doomed to play by the world's anxious rules. We can parent with hope, knowing that God is in control.

Conclusion:

In this episode, Greg and Cody discuss the growing sense of hopelessness in the world and how parents can counter that by instilling hope in their children. Remember, anxiety may be present in the culture, but it doesn’t need to define your home. Focus on God’s bigger plan, and model trust and hope for your kids.

Learn more at:
www.gracebasedfamilies.com
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