Some relationships wear us down instead of building us up. Discover six Scriptural truths that will help you stay kind without compromising your safety.

One morning, not long after I graduated from seminary and was serving in a women’s ministry position at a church, I overheard one of the table leaders for Bible study quoting a woman who didn’t teach sound doctrine. I remember feeling distressed about what I should do. I ended up pulling the woman aside to tell her what I knew of this woman’s teaching, and thankfully, the table leader responded with grace and humility. Although there haven’t been too many times like this, I’ve occasionally had to share with women why a certain book should be read with caution or a Bible study shouldn’t be used, because the views of the author aren’t in agreement with the sound doctrine taught by our church’s pastors and elders. As women are increasingly influenced by social media, where anyone can claim to be a Bible teacher or women’s ministry leader without training or vetting, we can’t overemphasize the importance of teaching sound doctrine. It equips women to recognize unsound teaching when they encounter it. Six Important Truths While many Bible teachers and small-group leaders readily assent to the importance of teaching sound doctrine, they may struggle to define the sound doctrine they’re to teach. Foundational, of course, is that our doctrine is drawn from the 66 books of the Bible. The Holy Scriptures contain all we need to know and teach about God. While many Bible teachers and small-group leaders readily assent to the importance of sound doctrine, they may struggle to define the sound doctrine they’re to teach. Other gospel-centered resources, like good theology books, are important and helpful, but most importantly, our doctrine must align with what the Bible teaches. Still, the Bible teaches many truths. Which ones need to be included when we seek to give women a foundation for sound doctrine? Here are six. 1. God is Creator and Redeemer. We must recognize that the triune God is the Creator of humankind and the Redeemer of the elect. He is sovereignly ruling over all things, so that he brings about his purposes and plans exactly as he has ordained them. He alone is the Creator, Savior, and King to whom belongs all the glory for all eternity. 2. Mankind is sinful and will face judgment. We must understand that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23). For those who remain “self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury” on the day of God’s judgment (2:8). The entire world will “be held accountable to God,” and “by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight” (3:19–20). 3. There is one way of salvation. We must teach that there is only one way of salvation. “For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all” (1 Tim. 2:5–6). Jesus claims, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). All those who repent of their sins and trust in Christ alone for their salvation are, by an act of God’s free grace, justified and adopted. They’re also, by the work of God’s free grace, sanctified. This work of sanctification in the life of the believer produces good works as a testimony of God’s free saving grace. 4. The church is essential. We’re to confirm the importance of the church, both the universal and local church. We’re to recognize that Christ is the One who builds his church (Matt. 16:18), and we’re to obey his command to “make disciples of all nations” (28:19). We’re not to neglect corporate worship on the Lord’s Day but gather to worship the Lord and encourage one another (Heb. 10:25). We’re to use our gifts “for building up the body of Christ” while “speaking the truth in love” (Eph. 4:12, 15). And we’re to engage in the sacraments of baptism and the Lord’s Supper, as appointed by the Lord. 5. We’re called to godly living. We’re to teach the importance of leading “a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way” (1 Tim. 2:2), especially when it comes to living as a Christian in this world. We’re to make “supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings . . . for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions” (vv. 1–2). We’re not to gossip about or slander our leaders, even if they aren’t leading or living in accordance with Scripture, but instead are to speak honorably of them and pray for God to grant them repentance, give them wisdom, and enable them to lead in integrity. 6. Christ will return. We’re to establish the truth that the Lord will return to judge the living and the dead. All “those who do not know God and . . . do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus . . . will suffer punishment of eternal destruction” (2 Thess. 1:8–9). But all those who know God and obey the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ will inherit the new Jerusalem and be with the Lord forever (Rev. 21:1–22:5). Therefore, all of life is to be lived for the glory of God and in eager anticipation of Christ’s return. We must teach that there is only one way of salvation. Teaching sound doctrine in our women’s ministries is vital. All of life is a preparation for the day when we’ll finally behold our beloved Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He deserves our highest worship and praise, so we should give our utmost time and attention to understand the depths of the doctrines revealed to us in his Word. Then we’ll know him more deeply and bring higher praises before our Lord and King. We’ll recognize unsound teaching when we encounter it. And we’ll rightly tell the next generation who Christ is and all he has done, that they too might deepen their worship and raise their voices in praise.

Like many fans of the beloved Little House books, as well as the original nine-season TV series (1974–83), I was skeptical when I heard about the Netflix reboot. Would the Laura Ingalls Wilder classic be given an anachronistic makeover in the mold of modern values? Would the new cast live up to the iconic performances of Michael Landon (Pa), Melissa Gilbert (Laura), and others from the original series? I watched all eight episodes of the Netflix series’s first season, which adapts the third book of Wilder’s semiautobiographical series. I mostly liked the show, which has already been renewed for a second season. Produced by CBS Studios and helmed by showrunner Rebecca Sonnenshine, this new Little House is well-made, well-acted, wholesome family entertainment—and generally faithful to the source material. Yes, some story elements feel a bit like “2026 values superimposed on 1869 American culture” (more on that later). And the series’s  quality never rises to such heights that the reboot feels fully justified. But in a content-flooded landscape with tons of TV options for every taste—yet precious little that families can watch and enjoy together—the new Little House is an above-average offering that celebrates family, community, and the resilient frontier spirit of America. Pro-Family Show for Families to Watch Together In the first episode, we see the Ingalls family—having left their home in Wisconsin—travel by covered wagon to stake out land for themselves near Independence, Kansas. “Every day and every night was an adventure, and they were happy,” we hear in voiceover, “because they were a family, and they were together.” Within the first five minutes of the show, Ingalls patriarch Pa/Charles (Australian actor Luke Bracey) is introduced in a way Little House fans will find familiar: as a fiddle-playing frontiersman who rescues his wife and daughters when their wagon nearly tips over forging a river. Later, we see him building his family’s log cabin, helping construct the town’s first church, and rescuing people from various perils. He’s a good man—and good men are hard to find on TV. The Ingalls women are also strong, and the show (like the books) foregrounds their perspectives. Ma/Caroline (Crosby Fitzgerald) is a loving wife and mother and an industrious pioneer woman—even as her progressive-for-the-era views and more egalitarian marriage won’t make her popular among today’s tradwife influencers. Sisters Laura (Alice Halsey) and Mary (Skywalker Hughes) capture the bonds and tensions of sisterhood and the different expressions of frontier femininity that also mark their characters in the books. Though devoted Little House fans might find occasional quibbles with this updated portrayal of the Ingalls family, I found the characterizations largely satisfying. The familial love and safety found within their nuclear family—the “little house” on a vast, unfamiliar frontier landscape—comes through. Numerous beautifully shot scenes show the family playing together, singing together, and comforting each other when hard times come. The familial love and safety found within their nuclear family—the ‘little house’ on a vast, unfamiliar frontier landscape—comes through. Little House is a refreshing celebration of the goodness of the family unit. It’s also refreshing that there’s nothing content-wise in season 1 that should give families pause. Like the original TV show I grew up watching, this version is entertaining for the whole family. Need for Neighborliness and Social Bonds Even as the Ingalls family is the heart of Little House, the story also involves a web of supporting characters who band together with the Ingalls to mutually survive the difficulties of frontier life. A big theme here—perhaps emphasized more in this version than in previous iterations—is the danger of rugged individualism and the “go it alone” mindset. As much as self-reliance is a trumpeted American virtue and the “pull yourself up by your bootstraps” narrative romanticized, the reality on the ground is different. We need help. We flourish not in isolation but in community. As the town’s African American physician, Dr. Tann (Jocko Sims) tells Pa in episode 1, “It is a myth that men can make it out here alone. It’s a pretty story, nothing more. Find help, any way you can.” ERIC ZACHANOWICH/NETFLIX Perhaps the best way the show captures this is in the character of Edwards (Warren Christie), who befriends the Ingalls and helps Pa build their log cabin. Edwards is a lonely, broken Civil War veteran who battles alcoholism and struggles to cope with the immense loss in his past (including the deaths of his wife and daughters). He needs the Ingalls even more than they need him. At one point he remarks, “I’m at my best when I’m part of a family.” The way he’s shown grace and grafted into the Ingalls family is one of the more compelling plotlines in the series. One of my favorite scenes (in episode 5) shows Edwards singing the hymn “In the Sweet By and By,” which he used to sing to his girls. His voice falters with emotion, and Ma picks up singing. The moment—like many of the family singing moments that are lovely and frequent in the show—beautifully displays how we hold each other up in friendship and carry each other through hardship. Is the show’s vision of thick communal bonds somewhat idealistic? Probably. But it’s still inspiring and aspirational to watch the goodness of neighborliness in action—people from vastly different backgrounds caring for one another in small and big ways. We certainly could use more of this in today’s America. Peaceful Pluralism on the Plains? Another way the show feels idealistic is how much the core cast represent different racial and cultural backgrounds, living in community (mostly) at peace. Though racial and class divisions are alluded to, the Ingalls family models a progressive inclusivity and universal kindness to all people. Caroline advocates for Emily (Barrett Doss), an African American shop owner excluded from attendance at the women’s society. Laura befriends an Osage girl, Good Eagle (Wren Zhawenim Gotts), whose family becomes close to the Ingalls and runs on a sort of parallel track as the series progresses. As much as self-reliance is a trumpeted American virtue, we flourish not in isolation, but in community. The Osage family subplot is probably the biggest narrative embellishment and “modernizing” of the original story. It’s not a bad change. The series humanizes the plight of the Osage—the loss of their land as white settlers move in—and makes them central characters where other “frontier America” stories sideline or erase their presence. I appreciated seeing the “pro-family” theme emphasized not only in the Ingalls family but also in Good Eagle’s family, who are also just trying to survive and keep their kids safe on the harsh frontier. Still, the Ingalls’ friendliness with and advocacy for the Osage feels anachronistic and doesn’t really match the book. The series casts a progressive vision of religious and cultural pluralism. The Christianity of the white settlers is present, but it’s the Osage characters who are shown to be the most spiritually mature. Good Eagle’s mom (Alyssa Wapanatâhk) is frequently seen praying to Wah’Kon-Tah, the “great spirit,” even as a cross hangs on the wall of her home, suggesting some Christianizing influence. And while the Ingalls have Bibles in their home, and occasionally sing hymns with Pa fiddling, their faith isn’t shown as the primary anchor in their uncertain moments. Instead, communitarianism is their ballast—the bonds they forge with Osage, immigrants, and fellow settlers who keep them afloat when all seems lost. In times like this, the Little House reboot feels like a more socially conscious, revisionist history of 19th-century America. What Independence Means Despite these issues with anachronism, I admire the buoyant spirit of Little House and its depiction of quintessentially American life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. It’s a hopeful show. “Hope is everything,” Pa says to Laura in the first episode—a line she speaks back to him in the eighth episode as a nice bookend to the season. Life is uncertain and hard on the prairie, but as Caroline says in episode 4, “An uncertain life is full of possibilities.” ERIC ZACHANOWICH/NETFLIX Hope and possibility are part of the American dream. The Ingalls family begins and ends the season in a covered wagon, singing the hymn “There Is a Happy Land,” as they venture from one possibility to another. Their search for a permanent home—a stable and prosperous land—captures both the restless ambition of American mobility and the universal spiritual ache for a promised land of rest and peace. But the series also emphasizes the importance of family and community. For what’s the point of the dream if you do it alone? To forge a future, blazing uncertain trails, we need each other. And we risk everything for each other. The wide open spaces of the American frontier are beautiful, yes, but pretty lonely unless we pioneer them together. As Laura says in a “What Independence Means to Me” oratory contest, Independence is a town named after a way of life. None of us can make it alone here. We need help from each other. . . . Independence isn’t about self-reliance or liberty or freedom or any of those things. It’s a place to come together. In today’s age of digital isolation and eroding social ties, this is a timely message. True freedom isn’t blazing a trail in whatever lonely direction your heart might lead you. It’s not declaring independence from the webs of family, faith, and culture that form us. Freedom is rather found by making and keeping commitments, living for a purpose and a future beyond ourselves.

Courtney and Melissa discuss how to apply biblical discernment to the question of when to prioritize wise self-care and when to put aside your needs for the sake of others. They emphasize the need to know yourself and whether you naturally tend to protect yourself or to allow your own needs to go unmet. They discuss how to set wise boundaries while showing Christlike love, and they emphasize that our goal should be to move beyond thinking so much about ourselves to turning our eyes to Jesus. Resource Mentioned: The Future Tenses of the Blessed Life by F. B. Meyer Related Resources:  Self-Care or Soul-Care? Yes Sabbath Is More than Self-Care Does ‘Turn the Other Cheek’ Mean ‘Get Walked All Over’? Think Biblically About Relational Boundaries Discussion Questions: 1. When you hear the phrase “self-care,” what ideas come to mind? What forms of self-care are most attractive to you? 2. Which extreme do you tend to drift toward more naturally: prioritizing your own comfort or neglecting your own needs? Why do you think that is? 3. What are some ordinary, everyday ways Christians are called to deny themselves? 4. How can self-sacrifice become unhealthy if disconnected from abiding in Christ? 5. When you’re tired or discouraged, where do you instinctively turn for comfort? What might that reveal about your heart? 6. How can Sabbath rest help reshape our understanding of both work and self-care? 7. How does the gospel free us from both self-indulgence and self-reliance?

Summer is a season filled with light.