Season 3, Episode 46: The Meaning of Discernment and Keeping Kids Safe

Keeping kids safe from predators is something that I hope is on everyone’s radar - but sometimes we don’t correctly judge who is a threat to our kids and who isn’t. The Jerry Sandusky scandal and Penn State football’s possible cover-up that broke just over a decade ago may never have come to light if one of his victims hadn’t decided to be silent no longer. Jerry coached under the legendary Joe Paterno from 1969 to 1999. We are going to talk about Aaron’s story, and how we can become more discerning to increase safety for our children and children in our community.

Our book this week is “Silent No More: Victim 1’s Fight For Justice Against Jerry Sandusky” by Aaron Fisher, and our guest is Julie Lowe, author of the book “Safeguards: Shielding Our Homes and Equipping Our Kids”. It’s full of great safety information, which you know I love! We’re going to share some great information with you this week to help you keep all of the kiddos in your life a bit safer.

Julie has a lot to say about discernment, so I want to investigate what Proverbs 3:21-24 says on that topic:

My child, don’t lose sight of common sense and discernment.

Hang on to them, for they will refresh your soul.

They are like jewels on a necklace. They keep you safe on your way,

and your feet will not stumble. You can go to bed without fear;

you will lie down and sleep soundly.

So if discernment can keep us safe, how do we make ourselves more discerning? I’ve got three tips for you in that regard. First, we have to read the Bible so we know what standards God expects. Second, we evaluate character based on a person’s actions, not their words. Third, we pray for wisdom which God says he will give us whenever we ask. So if you just aren’t sure about trusting someone - read what God’s word says is good, look at that person’s actions to see if they match God’s standard, then pray for the wisdom to make good decisions.

At least 1 in 7 children have experienced child abuse or neglect in the past year in the United States. Since these are very underreported crimes, the actual number of children affected is probably even higher. There are children in your neighborhood, your kid’s school, and even your church who are being or have been abused. Does your church offer classes or support groups that teach positive parenting skills? If not, see if you can be the person who gets something started. I looked online for a Bible-based curriculum to use with at-risk families and couldn’t find anything! There’s plenty out there about teaching parents how to raise biblically literate kids, but I didn’t see anything for a church to use as an outreach to its community. If you know of one, please reach out and share it with me!

If you liked this episode, be sure to check out some earlier ones. I’ve had so many amazing guests who have given me fantastic information you won’t want to miss. You can also help someone else begin their journey as a different kind of PI - a person of impact, when you share the episode, and when you subscribe, give me a five-star rating and a nice review.

If you enjoyed this episode, you’ll want to listen to this episode.

Please visit my website to access more episodes, read my blog posts, or check out ways you can financially support the podcast so that together we can impact more people, more families, and more communities. If you would like to contact me about booking me as a speaker, or ask about my consulting and investigative services, please email me at lori@theunlovelytruth.com.

Link to buy “Safeguards: Shielding Our Homes and Equipping Our Kids”

Connect with Julie here

Information on child abuse from the CDC

Want safety tips AND Scripture? Buy my newly released book “How to Kick Fear to the Curb”