At a friend’s baby shower recently, another friend and I got into a conversation about how scary it is raise kids these days, especially boys because of all the access to nudity and other things we don’t want them to see.

Twenty five years ago, boy moms had to worry about Play Boys that might found at a friend’s house. Today they have to worry about smart phones, computers, and a hundred other mobile devices their sons may accidentally come in contact with. Obviously, rules like “Don’t look at bad magazines” no long apply. A rule to cover all possible situations related to porn my sons may encounter, even as young as elementary school, doesn’t even really exist. Much less to cover all the other situations that they may find themselves in throughout the day.

So what is a Mom to do when the world we live is changing at the speed of light? As I’ve been thinking and praying about it these past few weeks, I’ve realized that a one-on-one relationship with God and principles to live by will help guide my children when the rules can’t keep up.

We’ve talked here about how you build you’re own relationship with God and how to help your children begin to develop their personal relationships with him, too. So as I thought this week, I wondered, “Which principles will cover the most and not leave my sons with a long list to remember?”

Then it came to me in our Advent study this week and was confirmed in our Bible class on Sunday morning.

The following verses continues:

The second is this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” There is no commandment greater than these.

That’s the answer! I thought. Yes, since they are now 2 and 4 there need to be some rules to help guide them. But as they get older, if I can instead encourage them to build a relationship with God, who can be with them when I cannot, and to focus on the lasting and timeless principles found in these verses, then I have a shot at them having guidance when situations I never even dreamed of cross their path.

So as we look into the coming year, these verses will be where I begin to lay a foundation that will guide my sons in the years to come. To love God with everything we are, and to love others as we love ourselves. On the surface that sounds simple enough, but come along with me next year as we explore them further to find out what more we can learn.