Published 9/3/19
By Greg Johnson
What If...
Summer is great! No school, no homework, no getting up or going to bed early. The problem is some of the time you drive Mom crazy. She’s trying to get stuff done, but you’re bouncing off the walls.
One day, a girlfriend calls and says that she and some friends are going to the mall theaters to see a movie and want to know if you can come. Putting the receiver down, you run to check with Mom. She asks who’s going to be there. After you tell her, she wonders what type of movie you’ll be seeing. Since a few of the girls are from your church, you’re sure it’ll be G-rated. Mom says you’d better check.
Getting back on the phone you ask what movies are playing. Your friends name a few of them. After you tell her that you could probably only see the G-rated one, she says she’s sure the girls will want to see that one anyway. You run to tell Mom the news and she gives her OK.
Though Mom doesn’t like to just drop you off at the theater, she’s in a hurry to get some shopping done before she has to pick you up. You walk to the window and pay the matinee rate for the G-rated film and enter the lobby. You quickly spot the other girls who are standing in line to get popcorn. That’s when one of the girls has a suggestion.
“You know, we can go into any theater we want with these tickets. They don’t check. Let’s hit that one,” she says, pointing to an R-rated movie poster. One of the girls speaks up. “No, my mom would kill me if I saw that one.” You breathe a sigh of relief.
Then she says, “But she probably wouldn’t care if we went in that one,” pointing to a PG-13 movie poster. All of the girls agree that’s the film to see.
Questions to Think On
• What are your choices?
• What would your first response be? (Be honest!)
• What’s more important at this point:
a. Going into the movie and telling Mom afterward you didn’t think she’d mind (knowing that you’d probably blow your chances to go to movies unattended later)
OR
a. Telling the girls that if they go into that one you’ll have to watch the other one by yourself (since Mom’s not home to come pick you up)
• Mom or Dad: In your opinion, how important is being able to trust your child? What will your response be when that trust is broken?
What Does God Have to Say?
From heaven the Lord looks down and sees all mankind; from his dwelling place he watches all who live on earth—he who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do.
Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account. Hebrews 4:13
(c)