My husband and I have tried to raise our children faithfully in the Lord. We have tried to find that balance of providing opportunities for each of them to explore their talents while not overburdening the family schedule, to protect without overprotecting, to give time for peer friendships with trusted adults not too far away (Scouts, youth groups, parties at friends’ houses, etc). Family devotions every night, worship on the Lord’s Day, prayer together, catechism, scripture memory, discipline with the rod if necessary, leading kids in repentance for sin to the Lord and to each other. Drawing their attention to the joy and peace we have when we draw near to God and walk in His ways, what wonder there is in His love for us that He sent Jesus to die for us!
One of the freedoms we gave our son was to bike around the local towns for exercise last year, when he was 14. He abused this freedom and deceptively began just going to hang out downtown with a crowd of promiscuous, drug using, gender confused kids (after giving us routes of the 25-mile loops he planned to take). Of course we didn’t give him a smartphone that we could track him with—those screen struggles were a whole other battle.
Over the course of the last 9 months or so he went from a teen who struggled mightily with some temptations but still wanted to pursue involvement with church and faith (we were also in between churches last year so that was hard on him)… to a hard hearted, identifying with the rainbow alphabet, self-centered, bitter, and seemingly unreachable teen who wants nothing to do with God or family. And he considers us his prison guards because we will not let him go and hang out with those kids anymore, literally pacing around like a caged animal.
At this age (now 15), when we wanted to start letting go more as he grew into adulthood, we are having to take away freedom after freedom. But this discipline is not affecting his heart and seems to only harden him more.
We are at a loss. I am crying out to God for my son.
One of the freedoms we gave our son was to bike around the local towns for exercise last year, when he was 14. He abused this freedom and deceptively began just going to hang out downtown with a crowd of promiscuous, drug using, gender confused kids (after giving us routes of the 25-mile loops he planned to take). Of course we didn’t give him a smartphone that we could track him with—those screen struggles were a whole other battle.
Over the course of the last 9 months or so he went from a teen who struggled mightily with some temptations but still wanted to pursue involvement with church and faith (we were also in between churches last year so that was hard on him)… to a hard hearted, identifying with the rainbow alphabet, self-centered, bitter, and seemingly unreachable teen who wants nothing to do with God or family. And he considers us his prison guards because we will not let him go and hang out with those kids anymore, literally pacing around like a caged animal.
At this age (now 15), when we wanted to start letting go more as he grew into adulthood, we are having to take away freedom after freedom. But this discipline is not affecting his heart and seems to only harden him more.
We are at a loss. I am crying out to God for my son.