“Bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.”— Ephesians 6:4 (NIV)
Parenting doesn't stop when your child becomes a teenager. In fact, that's when the real work often begins! Teenagers just have more freedom to move around, spend less time at home, and start acting like they know it all. At that stage, they tend to follow their friends—fellow teenagers who are still figuring life out themselves.
Even if you've laid strong spiritual foundations—taking them to church, teaching Bible stories, praying with them—you may still find yourself asking, “What happened? Where did I go wrong?” The answer is simple: adolescence happened! It’s not that your child has become stubborn or wayward. Their brains are still developing, especially the part that helps with good judgment, emotions, and decision-making. That part doesn’t fully mature until their twenties—or even later.
So what happens to all your labour of love? The memory verses? The prayers? The teachings? Relax—it’s all still inside them. It hasn’t disappeared; it’s just being stored for later use. You didn’t waste your efforts. That seed of the Word is alive, just waiting for the right season to sprout.
Your role now is to stay calm, pray consistently, and trust God to finish what He started. Love your teen, be firm but gentle, and let your life preach louder than your words. Show empathy, but help them understand that choices have consequences. Don’t always bail them out—let them learn from their own mistakes. And most importantly, never give up on them.
You have planted the Word—just like a farmer plants corn or yam. The harvest will surely come. “At just the right time, you will reap your harvest if you do not give up” (Galatians 6:9, paraphrased).
Copied from The Word for Today (ucb)
