a matter of perspective

Many times in my ministry I have heard parents make statements like “we did not raise our children to be that way”. I have often agreed with mom and dad as they sat in my office dealing with major issues or a crisis with their child all the while trying to understand where they went wrong. In thinking about this generation of students and often knowing the unreal expectations that parents sometimes put on teens it is no wonder and very understandable that youth may rebel against the things of God! So many times with parents, they turn to God and the Church when they cannot deal with the problems any longer! When conventional worldly reasoning doesn’t work parents throw up their hands and and cry “mercy” to God. In any cases the problems could have been avoided if the parents truly raised their kids in the ways of the Lord. Most of the problems I deal with are because of a relaxed attitude that families have towards the things of God. Parents fail or refuse to see the warning signs that lead to problems until sometimes it is to late! Problems like disrespect! Disrespect tolerated leads to other problems. Our (believing) children are supposed to honor us! This is a concept that teens have a grasp on. They (for the most part) understand the application of authority and order in their lives and are capable of being respectful. Disrespect does not equal honor. If a child cannot honor his/her earthy parents, there is no way they can honor their heavenly father. So early on, when you experience problems you have to deal with them immediately! Parents should help their children develop a biblical worldview which includes respect for the authority in their lives. Parents also early on need to foster and help their children understand the importance of a strong relationship with Jesus and the things of God. For parents this means things like sports and activities have to take the backseat to the things of God! Don’t get me wrong, I do not think that there is anything wrong with sports or activities but I believe that things of God must come first! In most cases, students who are heavily involved in ministry tend to have less problems in relationships with mom and dad! Let them see how important the things of God are to you! Think about it, can your children see Christ reflected through the life you are living? Parents have to be...the parent! I love my children, but I also realize the importance of being a model of responsibility in front of them! I have never really been interested in being my child’s friend! I am a lot more interested in being their parent! What a blessing it has been to raise my three beautiful daughters! It boils down to perspective...what is important to you? If the things of God are high on your priority list, they most likely will be for your children and on the flip side if the things of the world are important to you, they most likely will be for you children! Train them up in the way they should go...and you will never regret it! I love you all! <><