Talking To Your Kids About Gay Marriage Posted on May 16, 2012 by ChrisBrooks
Link to blog post: http://christandthecity.com/2012/05/16/talking-to-your-kids-about-gay-marriage/
Last week was painfully historic. It will probably be decades before we’ll know the full extent of the societal impact of President Obama’s endorsement of same-sex marriage. Suffice it to say, the magnitude of this unprecedented announcement will be seismic and most certainly stand as a defining moment in our generation’s struggles over the moral dilemma of homosexuality. The tragedy of the whole matter is that it only adds to the confusion and ethical misguidedness that many have succumbed to. As Christians try to grapple with the question of how to respond and engage our culture over the issue of the gay lifestyle, let me suggest that the first step in our strategy should be to make sure the subject is properly handled within our own homes.
If there is a silver lining to the President’s unfortunate endorsement, it is that it provides parents with a powerful teachable moment with our children. It is critical that we seize the opportunity to have a healthy discussion about “gay marriage” with our kids. That’s exactly what my wife and I did a few days ago with our daughter.
Before broaching the topic, we had to think deeply about how to have this type of talk with a five year old. Here are some pointers that I’ll pass on to you. Hopefully, they will be helpful as you sit down and share your heart with your own son or daughter. Each tip is biblically based and appropriate for all ages.
Step #1 – Affirm the responsibility that Christians have to pray for their President. (1 Timothy 2:1-4)
Step #2 – Let them know that the President’s job is to do good and to honor God, since it is God that appoints our leaders. (Romans 13:1-4)
Step #3 – Help them to understand that when leaders do wrong and dishonor God’s commands, they are to be corrected. (Matthew 14:3,4)
Step #4 – Explain to them why gay marriage is wrong in the eyes of God. (Leviticus 18:22)
Step #5 – Teach them that God made sex to be beautiful and sacred. In order to keep sex pure he set certain boundaries. Marriage acts a parameter to safeguard against the misuse of our sexuality. (Hebrews 13:4)
Step #6 – Show them God’s definition of marriage as being a covenant between a man and a woman. (Matthew 19:4-6)
Step #7 – Make sure that they are clear on the fact that they are responsible to obey God and to honor him more that they honor man. (Ecclesiastes 12:13)
I recommend that the best way to end your discussion is to ask them to join you in prayer for the President and for our nation. For some, this might be an uncomfortable and difficult conversation, but don’t be afraid, God is with you. Remember, as Christian parents, we should take advantage of occasions like this to reinforce our biblical worldview in the minds of our kids and to train them on how to think critically about the relationship between Christianity and culture. Let’s equip them with tools that they’ll need to persuade others toward Christ and to withstand the many challenges to their faith which are sure to come.
