You know those verses where Jesus tells us to “keep watch” or to “stand guard?” (Matt. 25:13, etc.) I think I have a better understanding of what he meant now that I have a child. No, I’m not talking about baby-proofing the house so that Caleb doesn’t try to make our pots and pans his new favorite toys. Instead, I’m talking about staying on our toes about what comes into our home. A couple weeks ago, we heard Pastor Jeff say, “If you have trash coming in, then you will have trash going out.”

We do not have cable television in our home, but lately I have become much more aware of language and other content that is broadcast even on network TV. There are a lot of words, like that concrete structure that blocks water along rivers, or the thing you sit on when you’re being lazy and is also used in place of “donkey” in the ol’ King James Version, or that place you go instead of Heaven. Words like these fly through the airspace with little regard when it’s just two grown adults living at home. But they seem to carry so much more weight now that we have sensitive ears around (even if Caleb seems too young to be picking up on any communication outside of drooling).

How do we keep watch and stand guard for the sake of the next generation other than using the Vince Vaughn’s Old School method of yelling “ear muffs” when you plan on using language some may see as inappropriate? By the way, Old School is not a movie I would recommend if you intend to take Jesus’ words seriously. This sharing of thoughts is not meant to be judgmental of the world’s diction…just something to think about as we claim to be the people of God here and now. Of course one day it will be a matter of the heart for our children and grandchildren, but until they are old enough and fully able to discern for themselves, being diligent about what they are exposed to might give us a greater spiritual return in the long run.