by Dr. Paul Chappell

"I will sing of mercy and judgment: unto thee, O LORD, will I sing. I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way. O when wilt thou come unto me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart. I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me. A froward heart shall depart from me: I will not know a wicked person. Whoso privily slandereth his neighbour, him will I cut off: him that hath an high look and a proud heart will not I suffer. Mine eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me: he that walketh in a perfect way, he shall serve me. He that worketh deceit shall not dwell within my house: he that telleth lies shall not tarry in my sight. I will early destroy all the wicked of the land; that I may cut off all wicked doers from the city of the LORD."

Psalm 101

When temptation comes, your child will stand stronger by setting their own standards than by assuming yours.

In a recent survey, author Josh McDowell notes that of 3,700 Christian teens polled, sixty-six percent admit lying to their parents on a regular basis. Also, fifty percent admit watching television shows their parents wouldn't approve. The study also found that in 95% of homes, media outlets were the greatest influences on the family.

How do we combat a culture that allows outside influences to train and guide our children? Our children won't be able to stand against the devil's attacks if they aren't taught to develop their own biblical standards. We cannot force our standards on them, but can teach them biblical principles and guide them in the establishment of their own standards and convictions. Here is a three-step process to teach your child that will help them establish biblical standards for themselves.

Begin with a Bible principle. No standard can be grounded in someone's life if it isn't based on a biblical principle. What does the Bible have to say about the issue? Does God directly address it or is there a verse that will apply to the situation?

For example, let's say you're trying to teach your child about what they should and shouldn't view. What does the Bible say about the matter? "I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way. O when wilt thou come unto me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart. I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me." David clearly states in Psalm 101 that he won't set anything wicked in front of his eyes. God also says in 1 Corinthians 6:19, "What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?" Realizing our body is not our own, it would be wise to not view any wickedness.

Develop a biblical conviction. The biblical conviction is based on the biblical principle you've looked up in God's Word about the issue you're researching.

An example of a conviction about what to view might be: "We will keep our eyes from looking upon wicked things that lead to wicked thoughts and actions." In order to avoid the wicked thoughts and actions, set the conviction that you won't view suggestive or wicked material.

Establish a personal standard. A standard is different from a conviction. A standard applies the conviction to specific situations in your life.

Realize that not everyone's standards will be the same. Some people struggle more in certain areas than others. Your standards are personal to you, and are meant to help you avoid sin.

Perhaps your standard for not viewing wrong material is to decide what television shows you and your family will view. Maybe it's to specify what kind of music you will allow your children to listen to. Or perhaps it's to set ground rules on what reading material they will be allowed to read. Whatever your personal standard, it's meant to reinforce your biblical conviction.

Have you taught your child how to set biblical standards in their own lives? If your children are young, establishing your own standards will help guide them as they grow, but as your children get older, teach them how to set their own standards. When temptation comes, children will stand stronger by setting their own standards than by assuming yours.

To learn more about the ministries of Lancaster Baptist Church and Pastor Chappell, please visit lancasterbaptist.org, paulchappell.com, or follow him on twitter.

Daily Bible Reading
Psalm 7-9 | Acts 18