A Family Belief… OR… A Personal Conviction

I’m not necessarily in this place personally, but I’m just around the corner with my 12 /2 year old and my 10 year old following right behind.

I’m speaking to the tension that exists between our families’ beliefs and our own personal convictions.  

The longer we wait to allow our kids to substantiate their own personal beliefs and require them to hold to a family belief, the less of a foundation that they will trust in when they leave your home.

Example.
My kids are starting to watch movies where they can hear some choice words that “we don’t say.”  They understand through school, friends, and environments that they are in that they cannot control what other people say.  I want my kids to understand the value of choosing better words to describe or identify something rather than slang, cussing, or cursing. 
The FAMILY BELIEF brings rules that have consequences for using that kind of language in my home. However, that’s not enough to cause my kids to hold these beliefs as a personal choice, especially when they are not in our home!

This applies to all areas of life & faith – our kids HAVE to take steps to make their faith and beliefs their own! It might look different for every family in what areas and ages you want to take these steps, but here are 3 steps I believe can help the next generation go from Family Belief to Personal Belief. 

1. Explain WHY.

Our youth need to know WHY we believe what we believe (I certainly hope YOU know why you believe what you believe). It’s simply not enough to say “because the Bible says so.”  They have to know WHY the Bible is an absolute truth they can trust as a foundation of their lives.  They have to know WHY agreeing with Jesus is not only the BEST option, but often times the one that will cause the most tension in their lives.  When they get to a certain age, WHY becomes more important than the behavior or rule itself.

The Tension is Real Podcast – Episode 12: Christmas Tension

Welcome to The Tension is Real Podcast. A podcast dedicated to real discussion about the TENSION that exists between Life and Faith and how to embrace it so we can live with purpose and freedom.

Today’s Topic – Christmas Tension
1. Subscribe in iTunes (Search “The Tension is Real” or plug in this URL –http://mattdawsontv.libsyn.com/rss).
2. RATE and REVIEW the Podcast in iTunes to help us promote MattDawson.TV
3. Listen to Podcast on this page.
4. Download MP3

New Podcast – The Tension is Real Episode 5 – A House Divided

How to Deal with Different Belief Systems under one roof

Welcome to The Tension is Real Podcast. A podcast dedicated to real discussion about the TENSION that exists between Life and Faith and how to embrace it so we can live with purpose and freedom.

Today’s Topic – The Tension of a House Divided
1. Subscribe in iTunes (Search “The Tension is Real” or plug in this URL –http://mattdawsontv.libsyn.com/rss).
2. RATE and REVIEW the Podcast in iTunes to help us promote MattDawson.TV.
3. Listen to Podcast on this page.
4. Download MP3

Why EVERYONE should watch “Mom’s Night Out”

Great illustration of the TENSION that cannot be Resolved

momsnightoutOkay, I know what you’re thinking… “Seriously, a chick movie…” “WAIT, a Christian chick movie!!!”.

YES!

I won’t recommend many things like this, but occasionally I will notice a movie or a book that I think needs a shout out. Please note, this movie is not a chart topper, it won’t win any awards, and there’s plenty of Christian velveeta at times – but it is a FANTASTIC picture of TENSION in one woman’s life that simply is too good to ignored.

Many of us live what I would call “normal” lives. There’s nothing super exciting about them. We work, we take care of our homes, we have friends, we have family that’s messed up, and we don’t have any “major” problems… this should cause us to be fairly content with life.

However, even in those quiet times, many of us go through seasons of wondering, purposelessness, and searching for “something” that will resolve the TENSION we still feel in our hearts. The questions that nag us “Am I doing this right?, Is there more?, What if I’m on the wrong path?”

I am a strong proponent of asking those questions. Even taking steps to test the boundaries of what is around you to see if they are real or just ones we’ve placed on ourselves. I’m NEVER a proponent of huge, reactionary, impulsive acts of desperation (buy a corvette, leave your spouse, sell everything and move to Zimbabwe). This leads to nothing but personal heartache and usually family devastation in the wake of your decisions.

However, this movie portrays the perfect (albeit exaggerated) “Night Out” in which 3 moms simply looking for a night out of the routine get caught up in an adventure that reveals many of those questions that are longing to be answered and tensions resolved.

It’s a typical modern movie, the wives/moms are OCD and the husbands/dads are useless when it comes to the kids and how to help their wives. I’m not a huge fan of this constant agenda to portray women as neurotic freaks and men as idiots, but that’s hollywoods MO right now – so I live with it in movies.

Sean Astin (RUDY!) does a great job in this movie and Sarah Drew also delivers a convincing wife/mom filled with a TENSION that simply cannot be resolved.

Conclusion – “Mom’s Night Out” is a great illustration, a fun movie night in, and if you’re paying attention – you will see the incredible POWER in the TENSION that simply cannot be resolved in our lives. It starts out in the movie as the THING that must be solved in order to have happiness and peace, but ends with understanding that this TENSION (these questions of life) when redirected give purpose and meaning to our lives and actions.  

So go ahead, watch it.  Let me know if you agree.

Available in DVD and Amazon Instant Video.