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Articles

4 ways to lead your children toward bravery

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February 8, 2017

A new year provides a time for reflection. We recount the stories that make up the past, usually with loved ones around us. Most are stories of childhood—the embellished retellings of our best and worst times. You know how it goes. “When I was a child … ”

In our house, the conversation ends with our eyes watching two blonde boys play on the floor. We wonder what their memories will be. What type of world will they live in? Though I don’t know the answers, I want to lead and inspire them to bravely face tomorrow.

In his book, Onward, Russell Moore wrote, “For a long time, the church in America has assumed … that most people at least ideally wanted to live up to our conception of the good life. Those with eyes to see ought to recognize that if those days ever existed, they are no more.

“American culture is shifting, it seems, into a different era, an era in which religion is not necessarily seen as a social good. Christianity in its historic, apostolic form is increasingly seen as socially awkward at best, as subversive at worst.”

Christian parents, who are seeking to equip their children for the real world, will be facing thoughtful, ongoing conversations on gender, personhood, self-expression and marriage in unprecedented ways. Our children and our parenting will require multi-faceted bravery; it will require multi-faceted bravery rooted in the work of Christ and his Word.

Yet, here are a few ways we can live bravely and lead our children to the same:

1. Demonstrate emotional bravery.

We must exhibit for our children emotional bravery that reflects personal vulnerability and dependence on the gospel. It’s brave to repent and believe over and over again. When appropriate, confess your sins to your children and teach them to do the same. The message of Scripture is the message we give to the world—repent, and believe.

The work of Christ is what we offer, not a better political or sociological theory. No other posture for cultural engagement inside or outside your home really works. You will not be the perfect example of Christian ethics that you hold before your children. But modeling for your children how to have difficult conversations with humility and grace will make a lasting and genuine impact on their lives.

2. Gird your loins.

Let’s go to the King James Version for Ephesians 6. “Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness” (Eph. 6:14).

Now, let's see what the English Standard Version says. “Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth" (Eph. 6:14).

It's important to see that in each version, there is a calling to be prepared. Even the apostle Paul urges the church in Corinth to “Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong” (1 Cor. 16:13).

In other words, get ready. We must be students of his Word, equipped for the daily rhythms of life. My child doesn’t tell me a few weeks in advance exactly when he’s going to drop a serious question. Does yours? I recently read an account online of a mother who lied to her son to avoid a difficult discussion about gender. I have to admit, that temptation is palpable for me.

Yet from the simplistic questions of a five year-old to more complex discussions with teens, we must be rooted in the eternal truths of the Bible. There is such freedom in knowing that you are not just giving your best ideas to your children; you are giving them the very words of God—living and active (1 Pet. 4:11, Heb. 4:12). These words have purpose—to give life and set the captives free (John 10:10, Isa. 61).

I pray as I am preparing my boys to bravely take these truths to the world themselves. They are in a battle—not with the people around them but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

We cannot forget this.

In a world continuing to devalue Christian ethics, we must prepare our children to understand they will be outsiders. It not make you or your children popular. But Jesus plainly states that “Everyone will hate you because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved” (Mark 13:13).

3. Lift up heroes.

My boys are the descendants of homesteaders, soldiers and gospel ministers. Their lives are built upon some incredible legacies, and we talk about those heroes often. Even beyond our family, they stand upon a legacy of saints. Hebrews gives us the famous run-down of those who lived by faith and did not receive what was promised in this life but are now residing in the beautiful "city of the living God" (Heb. 12:22). When I send my boys out into the world, they might go alone, but they’ll carry those stories with them.

Tell your children stories of those who bravely threw all their hopes in Christ's hands. Celebrate church history figures, missionaries and the godly men and women in your church. Celebrate those people, and integrate them into your family’s life. Even the most brave will need encouragement, and the best heroes are the ones you know.

4. Live in hope.

Bravery doesn’t exist without hope. One takes risks, goes to uncharted places or walks with eyes wide open into difficulty only when there is something of far greater worth than the arduous circumstances before him or her.

The author of Hebrews writes of hope as an anchor for the soul (Heb. 6:19). Point your children to the only source of true hope so when they deal with suffering, encounter those who disagree with them or lose worldly success in an ever-changing culture, they won’t come untethered.

Today, friends, let us bravely place our hope in Christ, and our children into His hands, as we face days unknown.

This was orignally published here.

Jill Waggoner

Jill Waggoner serves as a communications and PR strategist, writing and developing content for the organization’s online and print resources. She has served the ERLC since 2005, including as brand manager for Global Hunger Relief from 2014-2018. A graduate of Union University, she and her family reside in Lebanon, Tennessee. Read More

Article 12: The Future of AI

We affirm that AI will continue to be developed in ways that we cannot currently imagine or understand, including AI that will far surpass many human abilities. God alone has the power to create life, and no future advancements in AI will usurp Him as the Creator of life. The church has a unique role in proclaiming human dignity for all and calling for the humane use of AI in all aspects of society.

We deny that AI will make us more or less human, or that AI will ever obtain a coequal level of worth, dignity, or value to image-bearers. Future advancements in AI will not ultimately fulfill our longings for a perfect world. While we are not able to comprehend or know the future, we do not fear what is to come because we know that God is omniscient and that nothing we create will be able to thwart His redemptive plan for creation or to supplant humanity as His image-bearers.

Genesis 1; Isaiah 42:8; Romans 1:20-21; 5:2; Ephesians 1:4-6; 2 Timothy 1:7-9; Revelation 5:9-10

Article 11: Public Policy

We affirm that the fundamental purposes of government are to protect human beings from harm, punish those who do evil, uphold civil liberties, and to commend those who do good. The public has a role in shaping and crafting policies concerning the use of AI in society, and these decisions should not be left to those who develop these technologies or to governments to set norms.

We deny that AI should be used by governments, corporations, or any entity to infringe upon God-given human rights. AI, even in a highly advanced state, should never be delegated the governing authority that has been granted by an all-sovereign God to human beings alone. 

Romans 13:1-7; Acts 10:35; 1 Peter 2:13-14

Article 10: War

We affirm that the use of AI in warfare should be governed by love of neighbor and the principles of just war. The use of AI may mitigate the loss of human life, provide greater protection of non-combatants, and inform better policymaking. Any lethal action conducted or substantially enabled by AI must employ 5 human oversight or review. All defense-related AI applications, such as underlying data and decision-making processes, must be subject to continual review by legitimate authorities. When these systems are deployed, human agents bear full moral responsibility for any actions taken by the system.

We deny that human agency or moral culpability in war can be delegated to AI. No nation or group has the right to use AI to carry out genocide, terrorism, torture, or other war crimes.

Genesis 4:10; Isaiah 1:16-17; Psalm 37:28; Matthew 5:44; 22:37-39; Romans 13:4

Article 9: Security

We affirm that AI has legitimate applications in policing, intelligence, surveillance, investigation, and other uses supporting the government’s responsibility to respect human rights, to protect and preserve human life, and to pursue justice in a flourishing society.

We deny that AI should be employed for safety and security applications in ways that seek to dehumanize, depersonalize, or harm our fellow human beings. We condemn the use of AI to suppress free expression or other basic human rights granted by God to all human beings.

Romans 13:1-7; 1 Peter 2:13-14

Article 8: Data & Privacy

We affirm that privacy and personal property are intertwined individual rights and choices that should not be violated by governments, corporations, nation-states, and other groups, even in the pursuit of the common good. While God knows all things, it is neither wise nor obligatory to have every detail of one’s life open to society.

We deny the manipulative and coercive uses of data and AI in ways that are inconsistent with the love of God and love of neighbor. Data collection practices should conform to ethical guidelines that uphold the dignity of all people. We further deny that consent, even informed consent, although requisite, is the only necessary ethical standard for the collection, manipulation, or exploitation of personal data—individually or in the aggregate. AI should not be employed in ways that distort truth through the use of generative applications. Data should not be mishandled, misused, or abused for sinful purposes to reinforce bias, strengthen the powerful, or demean the weak.

Exodus 20:15, Psalm 147:5; Isaiah 40:13-14; Matthew 10:16 Galatians 6:2; Hebrews 4:12-13; 1 John 1:7 

Article 7: Work

We affirm that work is part of God’s plan for human beings participating in the cultivation and stewardship of creation. The divine pattern is one of labor and rest in healthy proportion to each other. Our view of work should not be confined to commercial activity; it must also include the many ways that human beings serve each other through their efforts. AI can be used in ways that aid our work or allow us to make fuller use of our gifts. The church has a Spirit-empowered responsibility to help care for those who lose jobs and to encourage individuals, communities, employers, and governments to find ways to invest in the development of human beings and continue making vocational contributions to our lives together.

We deny that human worth and dignity is reducible to an individual’s economic contributions to society alone. Humanity should not use AI and other technological innovations as a reason to move toward lives of pure leisure even if greater social wealth creates such possibilities.

Genesis 1:27; 2:5; 2:15; Isaiah 65:21-24; Romans 12:6-8; Ephesians 4:11-16

Article 6: Sexuality

We affirm the goodness of God’s design for human sexuality which prescribes the sexual union to be an exclusive relationship between a man and a woman in the lifelong covenant of marriage.

We deny that the pursuit of sexual pleasure is a justification for the development or use of AI, and we condemn the objectification of humans that results from employing AI for sexual purposes. AI should not intrude upon or substitute for the biblical expression of sexuality between a husband and wife according to God’s design for human marriage.

Genesis 1:26-29; 2:18-25; Matthew 5:27-30; 1 Thess 4:3-4

Article 5: Bias

We affirm that, as a tool created by humans, AI will be inherently subject to bias and that these biases must be accounted for, minimized, or removed through continual human oversight and discretion. AI should be designed and used in such ways that treat all human beings as having equal worth and dignity. AI should be utilized as a tool to identify and eliminate bias inherent in human decision-making.

We deny that AI should be designed or used in ways that violate the fundamental principle of human dignity for all people. Neither should AI be used in ways that reinforce or further any ideology or agenda, seeking to subjugate human autonomy under the power of the state.

Micah 6:8; John 13:34; Galatians 3:28-29; 5:13-14; Philippians 2:3-4; Romans 12:10

Article 4: Medicine

We affirm that AI-related advances in medical technologies are expressions of God’s common grace through and for people created in His image and that these advances will increase our capacity to provide enhanced medical diagnostics and therapeutic interventions as we seek to care for all people. These advances should be guided by basic principles of medical ethics, including beneficence, non-maleficence, autonomy, and justice, which are all consistent with the biblical principle of loving our neighbor.

We deny that death and disease—effects of the Fall—can ultimately be eradicated apart from Jesus Christ. Utilitarian applications regarding healthcare distribution should not override the dignity of human life. Fur- 3 thermore, we reject the materialist and consequentialist worldview that understands medical applications of AI as a means of improving, changing, or completing human beings.

Matthew 5:45; John 11:25-26; 1 Corinthians 15:55-57; Galatians 6:2; Philippians 2:4

Article 3: Relationship of AI & Humanity

We affirm the use of AI to inform and aid human reasoning and moral decision-making because it is a tool that excels at processing data and making determinations, which often mimics or exceeds human ability. While AI excels in data-based computation, technology is incapable of possessing the capacity for moral agency or responsibility.

We deny that humans can or should cede our moral accountability or responsibilities to any form of AI that will ever be created. Only humanity will be judged by God on the basis of our actions and that of the tools we create. While technology can be created with a moral use in view, it is not a moral agent. Humans alone bear the responsibility for moral decision making.

Romans 2:6-8; Galatians 5:19-21; 2 Peter 1:5-8; 1 John 2:1

Article 2: AI as Technology

We affirm that the development of AI is a demonstration of the unique creative abilities of human beings. When AI is employed in accordance with God’s moral will, it is an example of man’s obedience to the divine command to steward creation and to honor Him. We believe in innovation for the glory of God, the sake of human flourishing, and the love of neighbor. While we acknowledge the reality of the Fall and its consequences on human nature and human innovation, technology can be used in society to uphold human dignity. As a part of our God-given creative nature, human beings should develop and harness technology in ways that lead to greater flourishing and the alleviation of human suffering.

We deny that the use of AI is morally neutral. It is not worthy of man’s hope, worship, or love. Since the Lord Jesus alone can atone for sin and reconcile humanity to its Creator, technology such as AI cannot fulfill humanity’s ultimate needs. We further deny the goodness and benefit of any application of AI that devalues or degrades the dignity and worth of another human being. 

Genesis 2:25; Exodus 20:3; 31:1-11; Proverbs 16:4; Matthew 22:37-40; Romans 3:23

Article 1: Image of God

We affirm that God created each human being in His image with intrinsic and equal worth, dignity, and moral agency, distinct from all creation, and that humanity’s creativity is intended to reflect God’s creative pattern.

We deny that any part of creation, including any form of technology, should ever be used to usurp or subvert the dominion and stewardship which has been entrusted solely to humanity by God; nor should technology be assigned a level of human identity, worth, dignity, or moral agency.

Genesis 1:26-28; 5:1-2; Isaiah 43:6-7; Jeremiah 1:5; John 13:34; Colossians 1:16; 3:10; Ephesians 4:24