From Digital Chaos to Spiritual Clarity: A 3-Step Reset for Families

The digital world is relentless: content, confusion, chaos are all results of too much screen time. Everyone universally acknowledges this, but here we are. So many of you feel like you are losing with your kids-with their education, online diversions, and spiritual attacks directly against your family. As I’ve said, all of this is real and valid. We wrote about a few of the very few real threats online last week, feel free to read that here to get caught up.

Here’s the thing, you have more ability, influence, and authority than you may realize. Your kids honestly want you to be their stronghold in your home. Our faith clearly shows a God who is almighty, and keeps his promises. These words on this page are giving you permission, no, calling you to reclaim the authority in your home. We (culturally) have resigned our sacred duty to our family to outside authorities for too long. Teachers (professionals, state sponsored schooling) educate, police and EMS to keep us safe, doctors and pharmaceutical companies to ensure our health? And media, Hollywood, and lately social media to influence our culture and form our philosophy and faith.

No more.

Mothers and Fathers, your time is now. Your family desperately needs you. How are we going to do this you ask? Hmmm?

1️⃣ Reset the Environment (Digital + Physical)

Planning and action. Do not allow devices and screens to lead, that is your job. If you have allowed these things to creep in and take over - take heart, and take a breath. Seriously, physically take a few long, deep breaths. It is a great physiologic reset. Mind and body. Clear the chaos of thoughts and distractions from your own mind. Say a prayer, and petition God for His guidance and Discernment.

Now, let’s assess the situation. Audit devices, apps, invasion of digital time/clutter. How much time is lost to these pursuits? Locking devices, and apps to monitor absolutely help, but your mindset is what will lead the way. Remove digital distractions, set device locks, limit times, etc.

Establish or re-establish order. All of these outside influences encourage distraction, disconnection, and chaos. Listen, habit forming is HARD. It simply does not happen until the pain of what is pushes you to the freedom of what can be. New routines, simple in concept, not easy in implementation. So, create new routines. Start small, or you will fail. Pick the lowest hanging fruit here, and start with one thing, one change. Then do it. Do it for a week, then add the next thing. Set device times, and PLACES. No kid needs to be alone in their room with a device. Around you = ok. Replace what you are taking away, with better things. And, make sure it includes you in the process.

2️⃣ Reset the Conversations (Spiritual + Practical)

Possibly a harder part than making new habits. Facing the origination. Our family is, well, our responsibility. That is a big part of what I am trying to accomplish is to reinstall headship in Mothers and Fathers. Loving, caring, firm, gentle, joy filled, and fierce. All the above. Do you want your kids to get their values from public school, media, social platforms, media, “influencers”, their friends? Nope, me neither.

My hope, prayer, yearning for you is that you will raise God fearing and honoring young men and women who can stand against a culture that seems to be completely against them, and you. (yes, that was a really long sentence). Be the voice and example of what you believe and what you want to exemplify to them. Do you have friends that are not a good influence? Do your kids? Lead the way. You know what needs to be done. Face your family, engage the conversation.

Identity? Tell them who they are. We are all made in God’s Image. Good place to start. Body image? Unhealthy thoughts, lies that may be heard and believed? Crush those. Confused questions? Do not leave them in the dark, answer them well. Listen, be kind. Your children are learning. What are appropriate actions, thoughts, ideals, boundaries, worldview? Yes, it is a large task.

So, how can one acually do it? Small steps.

Habit: a usual way of behaving : something that a person does often in a regular and repeated

It is what we say, do, and believe every day, that your kids will see and learn from. Small check ins, regular talks. Time. Be together as a family. I implore you to stop farming your kids and their time out to other people, organizations, and activities. Want more influence over your children?

Spend more time with your children.

3️⃣ Reset the Vision (Long-Term Family Leadership)

Vision.

 Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he. -Proverbs 29:18

Vision is critical for your family. People around the world used to think and act generationally. The concept of what we do today can have lasting impact on our immediate and future generations. Most of our careers and jobs have goals. Short, medium, long term, metrics out our ears, blah blah blah… Now, I like goals, don’t get me wrong here. But, if we care more about the trajectory of our vocation than the long term direction of our family, possibly something is amiss…

What do you want for your family? Have you ever put thought into this? Beyond hoping that they will marry well (we’ll cover this sometime in the future). Be encouraged. Think on this. Then, make a plan, and do.

Be intentional about speaking and living from a spiritual basis. I mean, our society has basically driven the concept of living out a life lead by our faith and belief. Christians are openly mocked in the media and from people groups. Institutions, schools, workplace, what have you. Loudly and often. As a result, too many people hide their faith. Behind closed doors, only on the weekend, and sometimes within just the confines of your mind.

This is wrong.

Lead your home well. Be strong, and make a stand. Do not be reactionary to situations, be intentional about how you live. Life will happen, tough situations will emerge, difficult conversations will raise. So be it. Be proactive and ready, don’t be weak.

Your kids don’t need a perfect plan—they need a clear, courageous parent. They need you.

Hope + Action

No matter where you find yourself, you are not behind. Starting today is so much better than not starting at all. You absolutely have what it takes to lead your home. The world is not going to slow down and quit, but that does not mean that your hair needs to be on fire with you running around like a crazy person. Habit, family Rituals, standard practices, these are what lead real change. Be at peace, and be encouraged.

We are also here to help with what we can. Please, let me know what you think in the comments!

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