Parents, Don’t Quit!
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.” Deuteronomy 6:5-9
Well, there you have it – the key to parenting and raising our children up in the Lord. If only it were that simple, right? Because it’s super easy to talk about God all the time with a human who has air pods in and acts as though they would rather be anywhere but in the same room as you.
Parents, hear this very clearly: Don’t quit! Here are some things to keep doing:
Model It. If you hunger to be in God’s presence and you take steps to be there, they will see it. Be in His Word and spend time worshiping Him. It is evident when people are in the presence of God, and the greatest thing your child needs to see is you walking with Jesus.
Pray. Remember the Holy Spirit is the one doing the work. Pray that the Spirit would be at work in mighty ways and that your child’s eyes would be opened to Him.
Talk. Yes, still talk about God! Ask questions, encourage honesty, and give them space to ask questions in return. There will be rare, random moments when your teenager opens up and wants to go beyond “it was fine.” Be prepared: most of these times will happen when you are distracted, busy, or ready to go to bed. But when they occur, be ready, and carpe diem!
Trust Others. You are not alone. Students need peers and other adults to help them navigate life. We have designed Student Ministries so that students are plugged into consistent small groups with adult leaders who want to mentor and guide students on their journey with Jesus. It takes a village!
Trust God. God has placed you as their parent or guardian for a reason. You are the right person for the task at hand, and He is with you. Draw close to Him. Don’t quit – God won’t!
Ebenezer Student Ministries offers TNT Middle School Weekly Gatherings on Sundays from 5:00-6:30 PM and Axis High School Weekly Gatherings on Sundays from 7:00-9:00 PM in Room B01. Each session includes large group activities and small group teaching with our incredible team of adult leaders. If you have questions, I encourage you to contact me at [email protected].
Michelle Paquette, Director, Student Ministries
