In our last session I invited you to do a very practical exercise called REBEL and REPEAT. If you missed it, you can go HERE.
I would like to begin by handing you a machete.
A machete is a long knife used in the jungle to cut through thick brush and create a path. I want to hand you a figurative machete and inspire you to start beating down a path through life for your teenager to follow.
There is no greater spiritual influence in the life of your teenager than you. As one of your teenager’s pastors, the smartest thing I can do is to set you up to blaze a trail of spiritual heritage for your teenager to follow.
That is why I want to encourage you to live out Psalm 145:4 with your teenager.
“One generation commends your works to another; they tell of your mighty acts.”
Here are 3 ways you can blaze a spiritual path for your teenager:
- Close the old trails – You might have had a trail marked out for you by your parents that led to lots of pain. You don’t have to continue that path. You can close that trail and mark a new one for your teenager to follow.
- Mark the trail in word and deed – Far too often we try to make a spiritual impact on our teenager through words alone. Consider adding actions to your words. This has a multiplying effect on the integrity and influence you have with your teenager.
- Don’t force it – You can mark a beautiful path for them to follow. You can make the entrance clear. You can shine a light on it showing them where to go. But you can’t make them follow the path. That is ultimately their choice. You can’t control their faith decisions, you can only guide them.
If you haven’t checked our the Rites of Passage Experience yet, please go HERE to check it out. It is another simple and powerful way that you and I can work together to blaze a trail and help you pass down your faith to your teenager.
As always, email me with any thoughts or comments you may have at travis@southlakebaptist.com
Feel free to forward this post to other parents of teenagers and have them email me if they would like to join our online parenting class.