Focus on the Family Magazine - April/May 2023

KIDS & TEENS / BIBLICAL LITERACY
If you disagree with someone,
you hate or fear them
Love is one of those words that has been given
a redefinition in popular culture. However, we
learn in 1 Corinthians 13:4-10 that biblical love
is patient and kind. It also says that love “does
not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the
truth.” In other words, it’s not loving to approve
of or find joy in anything that is sinful or untrue.
But our culture has flipped this definition
upside down. Our kids are constantly being
taught that love means you accept and even
celebrate another person’s feelings and preferences,
and disagreeing means that you must fear
or hate that person. One of the major areas in
which this is constantly reinforced is the topic of
sexuality and gender.
Train them up
Kristie started talking with her daughter
Kayla about sexuality and gender at a young
age. Although it seemed counterintuitive to
introduce concepts like homosexuality and
transgender ideology to an 8-year-old, Kayla
was mature for her age, and Kristie knew these
subjects were fast approaching anyway. She
established herself as a safe place for Kayla to
discuss these issues, ask questions and think
things through.
Kristie provided a healthy environment for
her daughter, now 12 years old, to tell her mom
that a good friend from school announced to her
that she was a lesbian. Kristie calmly asked how
the conversation went and was surprised when
her daughter did a complete turnaround in what
she believed.
“I’m OK with it, Mom. Because I love my
friend,” Kayla articulated.
Remaining calm, Kristie casually asked, “You
know that you can love someone even if you disagree
with them, right?”
Kristie helped Kayla see how she had unintentionally
bought into the cultural definition
of love. She showed her daughter how defining
love properly and biblically would clear up any
perceived conflict between loving her friend and
holding biblical values.
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FOCUS ON THE FAMILY
APRIL / MAY 2023