Sex - Part 1

I continue to be surprised at the number of adults in my generation who didn’t talk about sex with their parents at home growing up. While the 60’s and 70’s were the heyday of the sexual revolution, school playgrounds and classrooms remained fairly innocent. This is no longer the case. 
 
Even though some have called teens today the “Cautious Generation” regarding their sexual values, the conversation and sexual activity starts much earlier than ever before. For an interesting, albeit secular, insight into the sexual dynamic of teens today, you can read an excerpt from the book, “Teens & Sex” online by clicking here. 
 
What should Christian parents do to instill Biblical values in our kids around the topic of sex? 

1. Join the Conversation – In Ephesians 4:15  Paul lets us know that in order to grow up spiritually, we must be willing to speak truth within the context of a loving relationship. Our kids are talking about sex with their peers – with plenty of misinformation being passed around, and without the intention of loving our kids toward maturity. This is our role, parents. We must overcome the fear or embarrassment of the topic and join the conversation if we hope our kids will learn about sexuality from a source that overflows with love and care. 
2. Emphasize the Biblical Intention of Sex – Sexuality is introduced in scripture very early in the story, in Genesis 2:19-25. From the outset, God describes sex as part of a covenant relationship between a man and woman. Verse 24 defines the exclusivity of the marriage relationship right in the creation story. While some parents talk about sex only to emphasize that “it is wrong,” we go further toward instilling a scriptural view if we talk about the “rightness” of sex within the context of a committed, exclusive covenant relationship – one that has been secured with the vows of marriage. 
3. Monitor other sources of sexual information – On a very practical level, we must be aware of the other outlets where our kids are learning about sex. According to some research, most kids are getting informed first through internet sources. Even “safe” sites like Wikipedia and YouTube (which control or prohibit pornographic material) can be outlets for learning that our kids access within the scope of normal school assignments. For home computer use, consider a guideline that requires your child to surf the internet in places where others can observe, like the living room, family room or kitchen. If your child must have quiet or solitude online to do homework, then learn how to check the browsing history, and use parental controls that don’t allow your kids to delete the history. For information about online safety or teens learning about sex online, check out these links:

Wikipedia advice to parents
Kids learning about sex on YouTube 
Microsoft suggestions for online safety
 

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Camper Corner
What does the word covenant mean to you?  Maybe take a few minutes to look up a definition, and then talk about how it relates to our relationship with God.  Get your parents to talk about the vows that they took when they got married, and ask them to describe the meaning of covenant as it applies to marriage.