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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 comfor<ng to know that the word of God has eﬀect on all stages of life? Here are a few reminders to help Chris<an parents have the right perspec<ve: 1. Your teenager is a person not a project. For you formed my inward parts; you kni4ed 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 ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ 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 revela<on 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 interes<ng how Jesus picked the Most unlikely group of young men and made them to be apostles, World-‐Changers. He spoke words of life and des<ny to them despite their many imperfec<ons. ‘Let no corrupDng 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 Paren@ng for the sake of your reputa@on but for God’s glory. We may have our own dreams and goals for our teenagers. But God has ins<lled in them His plans and calling. Just because you are a doctor, doesn’t mean your son or daughter automa<cally needs to follow in your footsteps. ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ "Pray, then, in this way: 'Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name…Your Kingdom come, Your will be done…” One eﬀec<ve 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 eﬀec@vely 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, ea<ng together, hanging out, ﬁshing, doing life together. Yes, he would teach and some<mes rebuke as needed.. But there was no ques<on of Jesus’ availability to them. If the only <me we have a conversa<on with our teenagers is to give them a sermon or a disciplinary ac<on, they will look at communica<ng with you as a nega<ve thing. Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instrucDon of the Lord. Ephesians 6:4 PRAYER: Dear Heavenly Father, Thank You that I am not paren<ng alone. I am clueless in paren<ng 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 perspec<ve. Give me the boldness to iden<fy and address sin as sin, yet combine it with the ability to connect to my family with uncondi<onal love. Help me not parent in anger or fear but in faith. Help me hold on to your word and your instruc<ons in all stages of my paren<ng. Send me godly mentors as well to help us on our paren<ng journey, in Jesus name. Amen.