Protecting Your Family

The rescue of Lot and his family in Genesis chapter 19 is very instructive. Lot chose to live in Sodom, an evil city but also very prosperous. He had mixed feelings about living in this place with the evil around him, but he and his family enjoyed the comforts of Sodom too much to leave it. God chose to destroy the city of Sodom for its wickedness. Abraham interceded for the city and received an answer from God that the city would not be destroyed if five righteous people were found there. The five righteous were not found. God sent two angels to that city to lead Lot and his family out. When they arrived at Lot’s house in the evening hours, all hell broke loose. Moses explains: “…all the men from every part of the city of Sodom — both young and old — surrounded the house.”  They called out, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we can have sex with them” (Gen 19:4-5).

Clearly, we can understand why judgment was on its way for this city. This was a city where sexual violence had become routine. However, we are shocked by Lot’s response as he went outside and tried to talk to the mob: “No, my friends. Don’t do this wicked thing.  Look, I have two daughters who have never slept with a man. Let me bring them out to you, and you can do what you like with them. But don’t do anything to these men, for they have come under the protection of my roof” (Gen 19:6-8).

Lot is extremely conflicted; while trying to protect the special guests, he places the safety of his family at risk. Perhaps he rationalized that nothing would be done to his daughters because they knew them and they were engaged to be married. Whatever he thought, it is appalling.

You might be thinking, “How could this man do this to his daughters?” Do not be so quick to judge! Today, parents are throwing their sons and daughters to the wolves by the abdication of their parental authority. Teenagers who are barely old enough to know the basics of life skills are becoming sexually active. They are doing so with the knowledge and, in some cases, the permission of their parents. The teenagers’ emotional intelligence is not capable of having a prolonged intimacy with another teenager, so it usually ends abruptly. The sense of rejection drives these adolescents to look for another and another. By the time they graduate, they have accumulated enough emotional baggage to wreck any future marriage. So, yes, many parents are doing just this, “Take my daughter or take my son and do what you want with them.”

Parents are throwing their kids to culture by allowing them to listen to violent music, especially rap. The lyrics of some rap music are so disgusting that it is repulsive, and yet teenagers are growing up on this vulgar and profane music. Its words glorify killing, sexual violence, and disrespect for life.

Parents are throwing them to culture by allowing them to watch any perverse thing they desire, whether that is video games, movies, or YouTube. The world has placed a cesspool of profane language, violent content, and sexually perverse material at your child’s fingertips. If you do not intervene, it will take over your child’s mind and damage their future life.

Parents are throwing their kids to the mob by allowing them to get involved in addicting social media. Programs such as Snapchat, Instagram, and others enable them to get involved emotionally with others at a very young age. They become consumed with their body and their appearance. This becomes a gateway to becoming sexually active at a young age. As parents who love their children, we have to be vigilant for their emotional, physical, and spiritual well being. There are many predators preying on our children, and we need God’s help to keep them safe.