I’m going to preface this post by saying that I can’t take credit for the thought – I’m simply thankful to be present for it.

Our discussion question for school today (from the Genesis Curriculum) was, “When is it good to keep out foreign influences? When is it not?” Foreign influences being defined as outside influences.

This led us into a conversation about King Solomon and the possible purpose of not wanting outside influences.*

Our oldest had this very real thought: 

With too much of the world, one could grow very naive about faith and what God can do.

The dictionary definition for naive: lacking worldly experience and understanding. 

This truly is a profound and game changing statement because this world claims that unless you understand culturally relevant things, you are naive. Satan has done it again; he flipped the script… substituting naivety for innocence. I am excited to help flip the script back!

Isn’t being naive to Truth the ultimate naivety? I would argue that understanding is no understanding at all unless it is based in Truth. What is the point in trying to understand that 6+6=15?; there is no Truth in that statement, nor is there Truth in any number of vulgarities that are presented to us as ‘cultural’… there is nothing to gain through them except a loss of innocence. What satan calls naive; God calls wisdom and innocence and choosing what is Good. Removing a child’s innocence isn’t helping them be less naive – it’s just removing their innocence. 

What about growing naive in our faith and being naive about what God can do and who He is? If naivety was indeed a concern, wouldn’t walking and communing with the Creator of the world be the best way to truly understand the world and therefore remove ignorance of the world? 

I can’t see how doubting and short-selling the capabilities of the Creator makes us more intelligent and less naive. 

This conversation could be taken much further than this short post and there are many aspects to many of the little questions I brought up – but I pray it gives you something to chew on and also reveals another way in which satan minces words to make us doubt He who is Good. 

Every Good and Perfect gift is from above. James 1:17

*I’m not going to address the dangers of limiting influences in this post when the limiting power is not abiding in Christ, although there are many.