Rhonda J. Smith is a former college speech
instructor & communications coordinator
turned full-time homemaker & journalist. The
writing of this committed wife and mother
who earned her Bachelor’s degree in
journalism and a Master’s degree in
communication from Wayne State University,
Detroit, has been featured in The Detroit
News, Newsday (New York), Chicago
Tribune, Daily Tribune (Royal Oak, MI),
Guideposts, and Charisma Magazine.
Rhonda frequently speaks at ministry
functions, writes and edits newsletters for
Christian ministries, and teaches public
speaking workshops. Three times a week,
she encourages women to lean on God's
strength instead of their own through her
blog, Musings of a (Recovering) Strong Black
Woman. She, her husband and three sons
attend Evangel Ministries in Detroit, where
they live.
Email Rhonda Smith:
rhonda@eewmagazine.com
Connect on Facebook:
Facebook.com
instructor & communications coordinator
turned full-time homemaker & journalist. The
writing of this committed wife and mother
who earned her Bachelor’s degree in
journalism and a Master’s degree in
communication from Wayne State University,
Detroit, has been featured in The Detroit
News, Newsday (New York), Chicago
Tribune, Daily Tribune (Royal Oak, MI),
Guideposts, and Charisma Magazine.
Rhonda frequently speaks at ministry
functions, writes and edits newsletters for
Christian ministries, and teaches public
speaking workshops. Three times a week,
she encourages women to lean on God's
strength instead of their own through her
blog, Musings of a (Recovering) Strong Black
Woman. She, her husband and three sons
attend Evangel Ministries in Detroit, where
they live.
Email Rhonda Smith:
rhonda@eewmagazine.com
Connect on Facebook:
Facebook.com
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About the Writer
And I found out that role is more than just staying at and keeping a home clean; it includes
protecting my home from clearly unbiblical influences, like the song lyrics above.
I don’t care how Christians justify letting their children listen to Jay-Z, Kanye West and the like, or
say it’s unrealistic to tell them not to listen to their music. Anyone who would pen a lyric
promoting a new religion to validate their sins is not welcome in my home. I’m going to tell my
children that, without fearing driving them closer to that enemy. Yes, I know we can’t be with our
children 24/7 so they might listen to ungodly music away from our presence, but that doesn’t
mean I should allow them to listen to it or refrain from telling them not to listen to it. Such a
response is akin to telling my children to practice safe sex and buying them weed to ensure it’s not
laced with some chemical. Parents, particularly mothers, are called to be watchmen on the walls
and there can be no compromises with this job.
The root word for keepers at home is “guard” and the phrase is translated to mean “the (watch or)
keeper of the house”; “taking care of domestic affairs.” So we are charged with guarding and taking
care of matters relating to the home and family. This most certainly means we mothers have to
guard our children from outside forces that serve to draw them away from being spiritually-
minded. Of course these forces include a wide-range of materials and they include people and
attitudes. As guards, we enforce the standard that the homeowner establishes. In our case, the
owner of our homes is God and He has laid forth in His word what we should see, hear and say. We,
therefore, must guard our children’s eyes, ears and mouths to protect them from worldly
influences. Like the gatekeepers in the Old Testament who were posted at the four corners of the
temple to make sure God’s house was protected from predators, we mothers need to guard our
children—God’s commodities—from past, present and future influences.
“(W)hen I say no to my children when they ask for Justin Bieber's CD or a ticket to one of his
concerts, it is not because of some egregious offense the boy who holds the title of America's
sweetheart has committed, nor is it because I think his music is raunchy,” said EEW’s Table Talk
Editor Theresa Macklin. “But I say no with the future in mind even while my loved ones and close
acquaintances constantly tell me, ‘He’s cute and sings clean pop songs for the kids. It’s not that
serious, Theresa.’ I beg to differ, however. It is that serious.”
Theresa is right. Our job as gatekeepers is serious business. We have to have a panoramic view as
we watch for unlawful influences. The threats may come from past family sins, like a history of
alcoholism; present company, like streetwise peers; or future pop icons, like Justin Bieber with “a
sexier, steamier vibe” that is sure to come. We may think it unwise, counterintuitive even, to keep
things out of our homes and to only instill in our children values to be spiritually-minded, but this
we must do:
Guard their ears. If we allow our children to hear whatever they want, they will embody the bad
that they hear: “Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more
ungodly” (2 Timothy 2:16).
Guard their eyes. When our children see harmful images, their eyes are not the only part of
them affected. Matthew 6:22-23 tells us that when we look at unhealthy things, our entire bodies
will be unhealthy.
Watch their mouths. What our children speak is often learned from what is heard and gets into
their hearts. Once the talk is in their hearts, it eventually comes out (Mark 7:21-23).
We, therefore, must guard what our children say before they even say it.
For us to be effective guards of our homes, we must:
Know the Word—The word of God tells us how to live. We have to know God’s standard so we
set God’s standard in our homes. “For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or
what fellowship can light have with darkness?” (2 Corinthians 6:14). Answering these questions is a
good place to start making a distinction between righteous and unrighteous influences.
Practice the Word—Fasting and prayer are essential so we gain spiritual insight to help us
navigate what we see and don’t see. There is always a war going on in the spiritual realm that we
cannot see, but God sees and directs our steps (2 Kings 6:15-17; Ephesians 6:12 and Proverbs 16:
9). This even includes God showing us how our children’s eyes and ears may have been violated
outside our home. God will reveal to us what we need to know so we can guard our gates
appropriately to defeat the enemy and protect our children.
Select suitable substitutes—We may not have set biblical standards from the beginning but we
can choose biblical substitutes now. Check out Christian bookstores and websites for appropriate
music and movies. If you don’t know what artists to choose, check out EEW’s 10 Men Leading the
Way issue and DaSouth.com for insight. Also, make sure you interact with families who have
biblical standards for their children and expose your children to groups and activities that support
your standards.
We only have one chance to raise our children. God has entrusted us as stewards of these precious
gifts and we must give an account for how we raised them (Luke 16:1-2, Romans 14:12, Hebrews 13:
17). This is our job. No school of choice or life of chance can do what only we were meant to do.
We are gatekeepers, called by God to guard our homes to keep them safe from unlawful intrusions,
abusers surely to rape our children of godly behavior (1 Corinthians 15:33). We can do this if we
seek to put the Kingdom first.
What are your thoughts on modesty? Share them with Rhonda at rhonda@eewmagazine.com.
protecting my home from clearly unbiblical influences, like the song lyrics above.
I don’t care how Christians justify letting their children listen to Jay-Z, Kanye West and the like, or
say it’s unrealistic to tell them not to listen to their music. Anyone who would pen a lyric
promoting a new religion to validate their sins is not welcome in my home. I’m going to tell my
children that, without fearing driving them closer to that enemy. Yes, I know we can’t be with our
children 24/7 so they might listen to ungodly music away from our presence, but that doesn’t
mean I should allow them to listen to it or refrain from telling them not to listen to it. Such a
response is akin to telling my children to practice safe sex and buying them weed to ensure it’s not
laced with some chemical. Parents, particularly mothers, are called to be watchmen on the walls
and there can be no compromises with this job.
The root word for keepers at home is “guard” and the phrase is translated to mean “the (watch or)
keeper of the house”; “taking care of domestic affairs.” So we are charged with guarding and taking
care of matters relating to the home and family. This most certainly means we mothers have to
guard our children from outside forces that serve to draw them away from being spiritually-
minded. Of course these forces include a wide-range of materials and they include people and
attitudes. As guards, we enforce the standard that the homeowner establishes. In our case, the
owner of our homes is God and He has laid forth in His word what we should see, hear and say. We,
therefore, must guard our children’s eyes, ears and mouths to protect them from worldly
influences. Like the gatekeepers in the Old Testament who were posted at the four corners of the
temple to make sure God’s house was protected from predators, we mothers need to guard our
children—God’s commodities—from past, present and future influences.
“(W)hen I say no to my children when they ask for Justin Bieber's CD or a ticket to one of his
concerts, it is not because of some egregious offense the boy who holds the title of America's
sweetheart has committed, nor is it because I think his music is raunchy,” said EEW’s Table Talk
Editor Theresa Macklin. “But I say no with the future in mind even while my loved ones and close
acquaintances constantly tell me, ‘He’s cute and sings clean pop songs for the kids. It’s not that
serious, Theresa.’ I beg to differ, however. It is that serious.”
Theresa is right. Our job as gatekeepers is serious business. We have to have a panoramic view as
we watch for unlawful influences. The threats may come from past family sins, like a history of
alcoholism; present company, like streetwise peers; or future pop icons, like Justin Bieber with “a
sexier, steamier vibe” that is sure to come. We may think it unwise, counterintuitive even, to keep
things out of our homes and to only instill in our children values to be spiritually-minded, but this
we must do:
Guard their ears. If we allow our children to hear whatever they want, they will embody the bad
that they hear: “Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more
ungodly” (2 Timothy 2:16).
Guard their eyes. When our children see harmful images, their eyes are not the only part of
them affected. Matthew 6:22-23 tells us that when we look at unhealthy things, our entire bodies
will be unhealthy.
Watch their mouths. What our children speak is often learned from what is heard and gets into
their hearts. Once the talk is in their hearts, it eventually comes out (Mark 7:21-23).
We, therefore, must guard what our children say before they even say it.
For us to be effective guards of our homes, we must:
Know the Word—The word of God tells us how to live. We have to know God’s standard so we
set God’s standard in our homes. “For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or
what fellowship can light have with darkness?” (2 Corinthians 6:14). Answering these questions is a
good place to start making a distinction between righteous and unrighteous influences.
Practice the Word—Fasting and prayer are essential so we gain spiritual insight to help us
navigate what we see and don’t see. There is always a war going on in the spiritual realm that we
cannot see, but God sees and directs our steps (2 Kings 6:15-17; Ephesians 6:12 and Proverbs 16:
9). This even includes God showing us how our children’s eyes and ears may have been violated
outside our home. God will reveal to us what we need to know so we can guard our gates
appropriately to defeat the enemy and protect our children.
Select suitable substitutes—We may not have set biblical standards from the beginning but we
can choose biblical substitutes now. Check out Christian bookstores and websites for appropriate
music and movies. If you don’t know what artists to choose, check out EEW’s 10 Men Leading the
Way issue and DaSouth.com for insight. Also, make sure you interact with families who have
biblical standards for their children and expose your children to groups and activities that support
your standards.
We only have one chance to raise our children. God has entrusted us as stewards of these precious
gifts and we must give an account for how we raised them (Luke 16:1-2, Romans 14:12, Hebrews 13:
17). This is our job. No school of choice or life of chance can do what only we were meant to do.
We are gatekeepers, called by God to guard our homes to keep them safe from unlawful intrusions,
abusers surely to rape our children of godly behavior (1 Corinthians 15:33). We can do this if we
seek to put the Kingdom first.
What are your thoughts on modesty? Share them with Rhonda at rhonda@eewmagazine.com.
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| Copyright © 2011-2014 EEW Magazine. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. |
EEW Magazine is the premiere site for African American Christian news, viewpoints, and information. Visit EEWMagazine.com daily to get informed and
get the latest coverage of black news and black entertainment from a Christian perspective.
get the latest coverage of black news and black entertainment from a Christian perspective.
Before I married and had children, I never
called myself a feminist, though I had many
of her ways. Fifty-fifty is how some saw
things, but I knew this was unrealistic. I knew
I could not cast off my biological or
physiological makeup to truly be equal to a
man, but in the ways I could I was sure to try.
After I got married, I didn’t mind being
pregnant, but I was going to work my career,
carry my children where I needed to make
everything work. I certainly wasn’t going to
be made to be “a keeper at home,” but
juggling all my balls had me constantly
calling on Jesus. The more I studied the word
the more I understood my role as a keeper at
home (Titus 2:5).
called myself a feminist, though I had many
of her ways. Fifty-fifty is how some saw
things, but I knew this was unrealistic. I knew
I could not cast off my biological or
physiological makeup to truly be equal to a
man, but in the ways I could I was sure to try.
After I got married, I didn’t mind being
pregnant, but I was going to work my career,
carry my children where I needed to make
everything work. I certainly wasn’t going to
be made to be “a keeper at home,” but
juggling all my balls had me constantly
calling on Jesus. The more I studied the word
the more I understood my role as a keeper at
home (Titus 2:5).
| EEWMAGAZINE.COM |
August 30-September 13
“We formed a new religion: No sins as long as
there’s permission and deception is the only
felony…” from No Church in the Wild on
“Watch the Throne” by Jay Z and Kanye West
there’s permission and deception is the only
felony…” from No Church in the Wild on
“Watch the Throne” by Jay Z and Kanye West
