“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 l, I remember hearing 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 difficult 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 this verse in 1 Peter talking about being sober-minded. I had never heard this expression before.

According to John Mac Arthur’s study Bible, to be spiritual sober-minded means to have self-control, a clear mind, to be steadfast, and have moral decisiveness.

Sober-minded Christians know what their priorities are and are not excited by the charms if the world. As sober Christians we must know how to critically think, be slow to jump to conclusions, and be 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 critically think, have them practice logic problems, be open to their questions. Teach them also humility. Because even if we chose 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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