Killing Time
The Lord examines the righteous, but the wicked and those who love violence his soul hates.
Psalm 11:5
One of the most disturbing trends in today’s society is the increasing incidence of kids killing kids. It is frightening to realize that school shootings such as the one at Colorado’s Columbine High School, where two classmates murdered a teacher and twelve of their peers, have become almost commonplace. Our culture—through television, movies, the Internet, and video games—teaches our kids to get even with or kill those who get in their way.
It’s the same method that the Nazis employed before and during World War II. Recruits were required to perform disturbing tasks systematically until they were no longer shocked or revolted by them. They were desensitized to violence—as are children who observe repeated acts of brutality in the media. That’s why the American Medical Association and other child development authorities recently stated what most of us have understood for a long time: “[The] effects [of violence] in the media are measurable and long lasting. Moreover, prolonged viewing of media violence can lead to emotional desensitization toward violence in real life.”
Scripture describes our heavenly Father’s feelings on this matter in the strongest terms: “Those who love violence his soul hates” (Psalm 11:5). Don’t wait another day to shield your family from violent images. The stakes are not only your kids’ emotional well-being, but their relationship with God Himself.
Before you say good night…
- Have your kids been desensitized to violence by the media?
- What can you do to protect them from negative media influences?
Lord, we must raise our children in a fallen and violent world. Sensitize our hearts and alert us to the darkness that deepens by the day. Show us what You would have us do. Amen.
Nazi methods from “Courageous Choices,” Focus on the Family, 24 May 2001; quote from “Media Tied to Violence among Kids,” Associated Press, 26 July 2000, as quoted in Bringing Up Boys copyright © 2001 by James Dobson, Inc. Published by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. Used with permission. All rights reserved.
Listen to today's broadcast of Dr. James Dobson's Family Talk at OnePlace.com. For more from Dr. Dobson, visit the resource center at drjamesdobson.org.
This devotional is taken from Night Light for Parents. Copyright © 2000 by James Dobson, Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission.
