http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/Sermons/ByDate/2010/4482_Help_the_Children_Love_the_Different_People/
I guess in light of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, John Piper spoke about teaching parents to teach their children how to love others who are different from them. At first thought, I was thinking, "This sermon isn't for me. I already know what he's gonna say.." But upon reading this sermon, I realized it wasn't just a message for children. I can apply this to my life as well. In my naive thinking that I'm too mature and I already have this part of my life down, I realized I can still learn a thing or two from this. And this is what I learned:
John Piper gives eight ways to help children learn to love those who are different from them. Rather than merely listing them all out, I just want to sum up some of the points on which I thought I could definitely take some notes.
The world makes us think that as children grow up and battle through their adolescence, it is their self-esteem that is the main issue at hand. But this isn't so. It's not so much as a self-esteem issue as it is a God issue. John Piper put this point in a very simplistic way yet very profound to me:
"And what you want your child to grasp as soon as possible is:
1) God made me. 2) God is very, very wise. 3) God is very, very
good. 4) Therefore, we should trust him. The way he made me is good."
Genesis 1:27 says that we were made out of the likeness of God. We are made in His image. So in essence, to judge or ridicule others because of their appearance is to offend God and His great works. Every single one of us have the most difficult time overcoming this issue. But I think to conquer this kind of sin, we must learn to first trust in God's sovereignty, wisdom and goodness, as well as love and accept ourselves as we are--beautiful and perfect in the likeness of our Father.
