Christian Parenting: Parenting Amidst Chaos

CHRISTIAN PARENTING: PARENTING AMIDST CHAOS

Deuteronomy 6:1-25 | Ephesians 6:1-4

#parenting

INTRODUCTION… sympa.com/insights/blog/company-culture-in-chaos [adapted]

Chaos is complete disorder and confusion. Chaos is behavior that is unpredictable due to small changes in conditions. I was doing some reading this week and ran across an article about “Five Signals That Your Company’s Culture is in Chaos.” I was about to dismiss it, but decided to read it anyway. The reason I ended up finding this article was because I was praying and reading and thinking about the word “chaos.” Our emphasis today is “Parenting Amidst the Chaos of Culture.” I am going to share a few of the points of the article with you because it is relevant to our discussion and the principles the author presents apply to businesses and organizations, but also to culture and I would say even families.

Culture is all about people. It is a constantly evolving social artifact that results when people decide to live, work, and socialize together. It is the knowledge, customs, and values that guide daily actions. I happen to think our culture is in crisis. The word I would use is “chaos.” That results from small changes that creates unpredictability. What are some ideas about chaos and culture? How does one know they are in the midst of chaos?

#1 You have many benefits and good things happening, but burnout and motivation are big issues.

We live in a fantastic country where we have many freedoms that many in the world do not enjoy. Most folks in our culture have a place to live, income, education, entertainment, leisure time for hobbies, the ability to retire, and so many more blessings. We have safe convenient places of worship and can worship in freedom. Americans, you and I, enjoy many many blessings and goodness and freedoms and plenty and yet, stress and burnout and apathy are very present in our culture. We know this to be true which is why the term “self-care” has been trending in our culture of late. “Self-care” is a big deal and an often talked about idea because burnout and stress among all ages are very real issues pressing on us.

* When good things are happening and yet people suffer, there is chaos.

* When life is good, but that goodness causes stress, there is chaos.

#2 You have values, but you don’t see them play out in daily life.

Values are often not the nice, shiny words found on the lips of politicians or preachers, but rather values are actually the collective behaviors and decision-making principles that are commonplace and aren’t even thought about. We act what we value. We celebrate what we value.

What do people really value?

How do people in our culture behave on a regular basis?

And, more importantly, who are the standard bearers for setting and acting out our values?

Social media and TV are places where many of the standard bearers and influencers of our society share values. We often say we value children, truth, compassion for others, freedom of thought, family, letting people be who they are, right thinking, and being wise. And yet we often behave selfishly, harshly, value political correctness over common sense, share thoughts without checking the truthfulness, cancel people who disagree with us, force our opinions on others in the name of tolerance and compassion, spend more than we earn, and divorce at the drop of a hat. Our values as Americans do not often play out in daily life.

* Many times, we behave contrary to the values we espouse and this creates chaos.

* When we believe one thing and yet do another, this creates chaos.

#3 We have a culture code, but nobody knows what it is.

What does it mean to be an American?

What does it mean to be a man or a woman?

What is the meaning of marriage?

When does life begin?

What does it mean to be a Christian?

I ask those five questions because we think we know the answers to those basic questions, but there is absolutely no consensus in our culture on the actual answers to those questions. Preachers say one thing and politicians say another while the civil laws of the United States establish one thing while the UCMJ establishes another. Movies and TV tell us one thing while our family traditions may teach us something else.

* When there are not settled agreements among people about the most basic foundations of society and meaning of life, there is chaos.

I thought those three areas were quite insightful as I related them to our American culture and families and not just businesses. American culture is in chaos because burnout and stress and apathy are a big issue; we have stated values, but we do not see them lived out in daily lives; and there is a code of culture, but no one knows what is true anymore.