The Tide May Be Turning

Good morning, friends.

If you’ve spent any amount of time online lately, it’s easy to feel discouraged. Every day seems to bring another headline about moral confusion, another attack on the family, or another reason to wonder what kind of world our children are growing up in.

But one of the reasons I started these Monday Family Defense Briefings is because I don’t just want to react to the news. I want us to learn how to interpret it.

This week, three stories caught my attention. At first glance, they seem completely unrelated. One involves the World Cup. Another involves social media. The third involves the growing influence of faith in unexpected places.

But together, they tell a much bigger story.

I believe we’re beginning to see something shift

One of the most encouraging stories from this year’s World Cup has had nothing to do with the final score.

It has been the quiet but unmistakable presence of faith.

Throughout the tournament, cameras have captured players kneeling in prayer before matches, gathering in prayer circles after the final whistle, reading Scripture together, and openly giving glory to God during interviews.

The Associated Press even published a feature this week highlighting how Christian faith has become one of the defining stories of the tournament, with athletes from multiple nations speaking openly about the role God plays in their lives.

In a culture that constantly tells Christians to keep their faith private, these athletes have done the opposite. They haven’t been obnoxious or performative. They’ve simply refused to hide the One they believe gave them their gifts. 👏

I love that because it reminds us of something our children desperately need to see.

Following Jesus doesn’t mean withdrawing from culture. It means faithfully representing Christ wherever God has placed you.

As parents, let’s make sure we’re pointing our children to examples like these. Trophies will collect dust. But a life that boldly honors Christ has an influence that reaches far beyond the final whistle.

For years, parents who questioned unlimited smartphone access or social media for children were often mocked as being overprotective.

Now, governments around the world are beginning to acknowledge that something has gone terribly wrong.

This week, European leaders announced plans to strengthen protections for children online through stricter age verification and limits on minors’ access to social media. The conversation has shifted dramatically from, “Parents are overreacting,” to, “How do we protect children?”

I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again. You do not need the government’s permission to protect your child. If your family needs to delay a smartphone…Delay it. If you need to remove social media…Remove it. Don’t cave to the pressure to be like everyone else.

If your child needs more books, more chores, more conversations, more time outside, and less scrolling…make it happen…unapologetically.

Parents have far more authority than many of us realize. Don’t surrender it.

One moment from the World Cup halftime show stood out to me.

Justin Bieber chose to perform an acoustic version of “Everything Hallelujah.” Rather than simply performing one of his biggest pop hits before one of the largest audiences in the world, he sang a song centered on praise and being grateful for everyday things.

I am certainly no Justin Bieber fan, but I also don’t want us to become so cynical that we fail to recognize moments when faith enters the public square.

Our culture often feels darker than ever, but light has a way of showing up in unexpected places.

Let’s be the kind of people who notice it.

This week, turn off the television ten minutes earlier than usual.

Sit around the dinner table. Ask each member of your family one question:

“What do you think influenced people the most this week—God, culture, or entertainment? Why?”

You might be surprised by the conversation that follows.

One of the greatest gifts we can give our children isn’t simply protecting them from culture. It’s teaching them how to think biblically about it. That’s how we prepare them to stand firm long after they’ve left our homes.

Have a wonderful week, friends.

Go build your house.