Birds and Bees...HELP! (Part 1 of 4)

Over the course of the next couple of weeks, I'm going to take on a couple of different topics that will require some length. So, I'll break it into "bite-size" chunks!


Birds and Bees...HELP! (Part 1)

Disclaimer:

I am not a parent. I am but a lowly children’s pastor. I am by no means an expert. I may say or write something that you disagree with. That’s okay. You may mumble under your breath, “huh…let him try that” or “naïve little man” or “really…you really think that…we’ll see.” I’m okay with you mumbling under your breath…just don’t say them too loud. My goal is to talk some basics, point you to some good resources, and plead with you to talk to your children about a God-way of viewing sex and sexuality. There is a lot more that could be said, but it won’t all fit here.

World/Culture waging war for your kids

Whether you realize it or not…hopefully you do, the world is attempting to (and rather successfully for the last few generations) communicate a worldview geared around sex. It’s everywhere. You can’t turn on the TV, drive down the street, or go to a local store without being bombarded with messages about sex and sexuality. The scarier thing is that, whether you realize it or not, your kids are picking up these messages. Many times it’s very subtle, but messages are being communicated.

As believer and parents, as a previous email spoke of, you have the obligation and duty to train and disciple your children in the most God-honoring way possible. It can seem daunting at times, but we all want the best for our children so keep working on it, even when it’s tough.

How the church has/has not dealt with the issue

The Christian community hasn’t always been great at dealing with the issue of sex. The church at large has attempted to make some grand efforts in recent years, and has attempted to be proactive about handing down a proper view of sex in the last few decades.

According to my dad, his generation learned that sex was dirty and to not do it, if it was talked about at all. The church ignored the topic. All the while, my father’s generation was learning to separate those two ideas: church/God and sex. The reality is that the two are inseparable and aren’t inseparable.

I grew up in a different time. I was in the first “True Love Waits” generation. That program started when I was in junior high, and by the time I was in the 11^th grade, I had promised to wait until marriage three or four times through different youth group functions or rallies. Their aim/goal was noble, but much of the research that has come back on it recently shows that it really wasn’t that effective on the whole.

I really think the church will continue to address the issue in proper ways, but as we discussed earlier, it’s not really the church’s responsibility. This is one of those issues that rightfully belong to parents.

More coming...stay tuned to the blog!