Open-Minded or Sober-Minded
Dear Mama,
“Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”
- 1 Peter 5:8
Ever since I was little, I recall being told that we should all be open-minded. When I was a teacher, I too taught my students to be open-minded. I believed that was the best way to approach complex topics.
However, when I became a mom, I slowly began to change. I noticed that open-mindedness led to relativism. If something is just different, then perhaps it isn’t wrong. This I knew was false. I slowly began to close my mind to what is false, bad, and ugly.
Yesterday, I came across a verse in 1 Peter that talks about being sober-minded. I had never heard this expression before.
According to John MacArthur’s study Bible, to be spiritually sober-minded means to have self-control, a clear mind, to be steadfast, and to have moral decisiveness.
Sober-minded Christians are aware of their priorities and are not swayed by the world's charms. As sober Christians, we must learn to think critically, be slow to jump to conclusions, and remain humble when we are wrong. After reading this verse and understanding it, I do believe it is better to be sober-minded.
So, how do we teach our children to be sober-minded?
Teach them to think critically, have them practice logic problems, and be open to their questions. Teach them also humility. Because even if we choose to be sober-minded, we will not always be correct.
My daughter now does one critical thinking problem a day during Morning Time. I want her and all my children to learn to be slow to jump to conclusions, to wait for all the facts, to ask questions when something doesn’t add up, and to be satisfied with the truth.
How do you plan to teach your children to be sober-minded?
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