Self-Indulgence and Self-Preoccupation & our kids

I recently signed up for book sneeze, which is a really awesome website and if you are big on reading I highly suggest that you check them out!  My first book is Max on Life by Max Lucado.  I've heard a lot about him, and I've heard that he is an amazing Christian author.  I didn't know that he was also a pastor though, which I learned today through reading through some of the book.  I have thoroughly enjoyed it so far, and I can not wait to finish reading it!  I love how h writes, the style, and most of all I love the advice he gives out as he answers the questions in this book.

Max on Life is set up so that it is Max Lucado answering questions.  As a pastor and an author I imagine that he gets more letters and emails than any one person could possibly answer.  His advice is practical, moving, touching and spot on as he answered these questions. 

I am sure this is a book that I will be speaking about a lot more on my blog, so ya'll can get ready to hear more about it in the future.  I picked one question to focus on in my post tonight.  One that I think has crossed every parents mind at least once. 

The Question

The world today - people and certainly the media - encourage our children to be self-indulgent.  I don't think all this self-preoccupation will help them grow into mature adults.  Am I off here?

The answer from Max Lucado

Taught at an early age, self-indulgence becomes a way of life.  

Television does not present the best models:

-Kids who get every gadget and goody they want

-Kids who, in thirty minutes, solve all their problems

-Kids who get laughs with their sassy comebacks to stupid adults

Television dangles the fruit in front of our kids and says, "Doesn't this way of life look good?  Indulge yourself!"

But self-indulgence is a problem facing not only our children but humankind.  In fact, self-indulgence got us into this mess.  "go ahead, Eve.  Eat that fruit.  It looks so good.  Indulge yourself."

Television only promotes what the world already thinks.  So how do you teach your children well?  Give them new models.

Other kids ---Make sure they hang out with other kids won don't "have it all" or whose parents don't rush out and buy the latest thing.

Parents ---Are they learning self-indulgence from you?  Do your schedule and your own priorities take precedence over them?  Do you have more toys than they do?

Jesus ---Feed them a consistent message of Jesus Christ, focusing on his humility and his self-sacrifice.  "Jesus...was give a position 'a little lower than the angels'" (Heb. 2:9 NLT).  Jesus chose servanthood, and he is the King!  Can't we do the same?

Kids need to get turned on to new models of self-sacrifice to realize that life is not one big TV show and the plots don't always center on them.

I don't know about ya'll but that really got me to thinking about my own kids, what I'm showing them, what I'm not showing them and what they're seeing on TV.  It got me to wondering about ways that I can make sure that they don't end up thinking that the entire world revolves around them and loving themselves above all else.  I want to raise my kids to be good, productive, mature God fearing, God loving adults!  So this has definately got me thinking about things that I can change and do differently to make sure that I do everything in my power to raise them in that way.  The first thing I'm going to do is pray about it tonight, and then I'm going to pray about it every night until I feel that I have reached the solution.  I'm going to be thinking about it, and making changed to my own behavior and other things. 

To read more of the questions answered by Max Lucado buy his new book, Max on Life!  I have been loving it so far, and I think I will be checking out some other titles by him in the near future as well!

What do you think about this question and the way Max Lucado answered it?  Do you ever think about this, and do you think there are some things you could change or do differently as well?

By the way, Happy (belated) Easter everyone!  We had a pretty fun & full day, and I will be posting about it (complete with photos) tomorrow when I get home!  We're still at Justins Moms house!