Five Priorities for Raising Healthy Youth

We are parenting in a time-stretched world. After sleep, school, food, and travel we have, on average, five discretionary hours a day. How will we spend that time? More importantly, as followers of Jesus, how are we called to spend those moments that aren’t prescribed for us? Today we’ll talk about the top five priorities we have as parents, and discuss how each is an opportunity to raise our children up in the way they should go.

Listen to "Five Priorities for Raising Healthy Youth" on Spreaker.

SHOW NOTES

The five priories we must set as a family:

When will you eat together?
When is your child growing his or her mind?
When will your child have time with friends?
When will you worship together? (church? songs? scripture?)
When is your child experiencing risk, responsibility, and free play?

Categories for your “ten jots”:

Entertainment
Faith
Family time
Free play
Friends
Homework
Responsibilities: work, chores, commitments (things you’ve already said yes to)
Sports

Three prayers:

What is most important to your family’s purpose? – is faithful to your call to lead, serve, and raise up in the way they should go?
What is most valuable for your child’s heart? – produces good fruit
What is most in line with your mission in Christ? – to love God with all you are, love others, and help them do the same?

Four reminders from Scripture:

1. We have plans, but the Lord establishes our steps. (Proverbs 16:9) – take time to the Lord in prayer
“The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps.” (Prov. 16:9)

2. Our time is borrowed.
“Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” (1 Cor. 6:20)

3. That we are not in control of our days, God is.
“Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.” (James, 4:14)

4. Walk wisely
“Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.” (Eph. 5:15-16)

Want help talking healthy tech? Check out Nathan’s online workshop: Family Tech Framework

Anna’s devotional to help us focus on Christ, not our tech: The Graceful Disconnect (Amazon or Gospelcenteredtech.com)

Nathan’s resource for families to connect the hope of the Gospel to their daily tech lives: Gospel-Centered Tech (Amazon or Gospelcenteredtech.com)