SOCIETAL INFLUENCE
1 Corinthians 15: 33 NLT
“Don’t be fooled by those who say such things for bad company corrupts good character”
What good will It be when you spend all time, resources and effort to train up a child and while they are in the path of growth. Society ends up corrupting, influencing and deviating them from the right path.
The Society is the product of the family. Every life starts from the small family setting of parents and children growing to what is called “Society”. There is what is called peer influence ( aka peer pressure) on children and age/peer group that grow into societal influence where people wants to be what others are and want to do what others are doing. Most times the result of what people do is not of much concern until it goes out of hand for the follower or practitioner of a new act. Those who discover the ill of such wrong influence are those who had the right upbringing and were corrupted by the wrong company along the line.
To avoid this, the bible tells the parent to bring up their children in the way they should go and as they grow, they will not depart from it. Hence those who are or will be easily influenced by society and thereby corrupted by bad companies are majorly those not brought up well and in the Lords way. Good upbringing will make them not to go the company of those who can influence them wrongly. Train up your child, save the world, save the future.
Another perspective is for parents to be mindful of the society they find themselves. Parent can get so busy which in turn make their children spend most of their time in the school environment. Neighbours will always interact with your children, and your neighbour’s children will eventually or likely become friends with your children. Your children will likely have friends from the internet, influencers now play a major role today in how people behave or act. Which makes the influence angle to be diverse.
Society play a major role on shaping how your children become. Someone once said to me that one best way to help your children is to control the environment they find themselves in. Keep a well brought up lady in an environment of ladies who have bad characters and many of such ladies will be influenced with time. One of the least influences I have seen over time is the influence of the mind to be ok with bad behaviour. What do I mean? Imagine your child initially believes he won’t be in the midst of people who drink or smoke. Now imagine that he is in an environment where drinking is a way of life. Over time he will be influenced and be ok with drinking. I have also seen situations where this person started taking one or two bottles. I have also seen a family whose parents are religious but children keep getting pregnant before marriage or children begins to smoke when their parent doesn’t.
DON’T UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF SOCIETAL INFLUENCE.
Therefore while training your child in a way they should go is your first line of defence the second line of defence is to manage and prepare them for the society they find themselves in.
Further reading: Prov. 22:6
Quote: “If from infancy you treat children as gods, they are liable in adulthood to act like a devils” P.D James.
Prayer: Father, our children shall be taught of you and great shall their peace.
Assignment: If you have read this post without your children, call them and read it to them
