How to Find the Time for your Teenager?
CONVERSATIONS:
Why Is it so Hard to Talk to Teenagers?
No longer a child but not yet an adult. It is these in between years that have puzzled and challenged many parents. Isn’t it comforting to know that the word of God has effect on all stages of life?
Here are a few reminders to help Christian parents have the right perspective:
1. Your teenager is a person not a project.
For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. Psalms 139:13-16
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Does your teenager know that he or she is wonderfully made? Teenagers like to hang out with people who think they’re cool.
How precious to know that once our teenagers get that revelation that they are “wonderfully made” their response will be to praise their Creator.
He or she is a person made in the image of God, yet prone to sin and mistakes like you and me.
Many parents see only 2 dimensions of their youth: The grades they make and or The friends they hang out with.
It is interesting how Jesus picked the Most unlikely group of young men and made them to be apostles, World-Changers. He spoke words of life and destiny to them despite their many imperfections.
‘Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.” Ephesians 4:29
2. You are not Parenting for the sake of your reputation but for God’s glory.
We may have our own dreams and goals for our teenagers. But God has instilled in them His plans and calling. Just because you are a doctor, doesn’t mean your son or daughter automatically needs to follow in your footsteps.
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"Pray, then, in this way: 'Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name…Your Kingdom come, Your will be done…”
One effective prayer is saying:
Father, teach me as a parent to follow YOUR will in the raising of my child. If we expect obedience from our son or daughter, our Heavenly Father expects obedience from us as well.
3. To effectively Correct, You must Regularly Connect.
Jesus only had 3 years to shape his disciples to become followers of Christ.
But those years were spent in him purposefully CONNECTING. Many verses show them, eating together, hanging out, fishing, doing life together.
Yes, he would teach and sometimes rebuke as needed.. But there was no question of Jesus’ availability to them.
If the only time we have a conversation with our teenagers is to give them a sermon or a disciplinary action, they will look at communicating with you as a negative thing.
Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. Ephesians 6:4
PRAYER:
Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank You that I am not parenting alone. I am clueless in parenting my teenagers and I need your help!
Thank you that my teenagers are wonderfully made by You. Please give me the ability to see all my children from your perspective. Give me the boldness to identify and address sin as sin, yet combine it with the ability to connect to my family with unconditional love.
Help me not parent in anger or fear but in faith. Help me hold on to your word and your instructions in all stages of my parenting. Send me godly mentors as well to help us on our parenting journey, in Jesus name. Amen.
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