The finger in the dike

Last Saturday night Steve Johnson and Annette hosted the first "couples night" since they moved to their new house. I have been meeting monthly with them (excepting December and January, when Steve and Annette were moving and resettling) since last July. They are couples, with mostly pre-school age children, whom Steve and Annette have  know since younger days at El Camino Baptist. I have been speaking on various topics related to parenting and Biblical principles. They are responsive and highly interactive.  

This month I read a section from John Rosemond's Parenting by the Book about teaching children self-respect (and by inference, respect for others) as opposed to self-esteem (ego-centrism). As a professional psychologist, Rosemond does a great job of refuting the current postmodern psychological parenting mantras that have overtaken American society. He constrasts these (and their disastrous results) with what he calls "what Grandma knew," which is based on Biblical foundations and agrarian common sense.

The questions in the discussion afterwards were both thoughtful and revelatory. Several of these moms have secular education degrees and are having to work hard to ovecome the bad psychology they were taught.  All are somewhat affected by misinformed peer expectations and the ever-present pressure to conform to everyone else's mistakes. It is becoming harder than ever for a Christian family to stand alone in the choices they make for their children.         

For a few moments it felt as though a veil were being lifted in the understanding of some of them. The crushing weight of an ungodly culture is oppressive, but knowing you are not alone does help. On the way home I thought of the legend of the little Dutch boy who put his finger in the dike. It is easy to feel as though too few are doing too little to hold the flood waters back.

But I thank God for authors like John Rosemond and Voddie Baucham and Tedd Tripp,who are saying the things that Christian parents need to hear. And I am especially thankful for Steve and Annette, who are reaching out to help their own friends. God bless them, every one!