Parenting
An essential part of our growth and change as a child of God is coming to understand how God uses our daily struggles to bring about change in our hearts and our lives. In the midst of our struggles, we don’t naturally connect the ways we think, feel, and act with our ultimate destination of life in heaven with Christ. It takes the work of the Holy Spirit to help us bridge the gap and connect our struggles to our future in eternity.
Counseling angry and indifferent young people typically begins with presenting issues. But counseling does not stop there. The youth counselor who tries to identify the teen’s problem for him and then offers his own solutions, even his understanding of biblical solutions, does not have to wait very long— maybe five or ten minutes—to see the counseling session fail. The teen tunes out the counselor with polite tolerance, impatient for the session to end. Most often he does not return for a second interview. The angry teen believes that most adults who try to help do two things. They pick the problem(s) to work on, then offer solutions they believe will resolve the problem. In such a session, the teen mentally checks out in short order.
Sometimes the ministry home can stoke the fires of rebellion in a child’s heart. Even though you may saturate your family with all the resources you have in Christ, you may see your child make wrong choices and take the path of rebellion. This is the hardest thing for parents to go through! It is agonizing to see a child for whom you’ve prayed, in whom you’ve delighted, and to whom you’ve given your life, turn away from Christ. Dear friend, I want to look at this issue with you. I will speak from a very personal perspective as a parent of a rebellious child. I pray you’ll be encouraged through the wisdom found in God’s Word and by seeing God’s faithfulness to our family.
Teenagers’ lives are full of complexity. Strong forces compete for their attention. They often feel insecure. They worry about their appearance. They spend a lot of time fixing their hair and clothes. They change their clothes three or four times before going out. They practice in front of the mirror: “Is this my good smile?” “Is this my good side?” “Will people like me?” “Will I have lots of friends?”
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