It is
important that we develop our youth in righteousness, goodness, and truth. The
righteousness of God is what they receive through a personal relationship with
Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the full righteousness of God. As parents, we
must guide them to what is acceptable to the Lord. He wants them to adhere to
the same truth as all of his believers.
The future of our youth starts with what
they see through mature and long-time Christians, especially the lives lived
out by their parents. Parents in the Lord are their first examples until they
come into the knowledge of the Lord they serve.
The needs of our young people include
listening, sharing, and time well spent with them. They have a voice too! They
are all challenged by their everyday lives—school, peers, siblings, and even
their parents and home lives.
A daily investigation on the parents’ part
is necessary for a fully functional child. Young people need to know they’re
important.
- Investigate what they’re faced with in their everyday
lives. Make sure they are not left out. We are to be sensitive to their
needs.
- Young people need to be affirmed and appreciated.
Without validation they could enter into depression, pull away, and withdraw
from life.
- We, as their parents, are to pay attention to their behavior. We need to be good stewards over our children’s lives.
It’s not enough to be baseline or surface
with them; we need to get into their hearts. There needs to be a healthy balance
in their lives—spirit, soul, and body. Sometimes young people can feel unloved,
disrespected, and misunderstood. As if they don’t matter. Even as they are getting
older, they know that they’re changing and may not always know how to deal with
the changes in their bodies, environments, schools, peers, and home lives.
Our youth are the future and they need
guidance and leadership in every part of their lives. They need to know they
matter to us. In order for them to be ready for what’s ahead of them in the
future, they also need to be accepted and free to express their thoughts and feelings.
They are also a part of the body of Christ. The Father in Heaven wants his
youth to live a life acceptable in goodness, righteousness, and truth.
