Many things happen in the lives of teenagers that they do not understand mostly because it is new to them and because they do not believe in the power of the word and the promises made in the bible, usually emotions lead to behavior changes and every teenager goes through different emotions either good or bad. Biologically people go through different stages when developing which include emotional disorders and changes in behavior and most of all the need for acceptance. Changes include emotional breakdowns, change in the way they dress and carry themselves and the way they relate with others.
Ephesians 6:4 says: “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord”.
Issues of behavior change and emotional disorders are mostly common in teenagers and it is the duty of the parents, community and most importantly the church to understand and deal with the teens in and around the church appropriately without provoking them. Ephesians 6:4 says: “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord”. Communication is the key to unveiling what really is transpiring in the lives of teenagers and it takes the proper communication type to effectively minister to them.
There is nothing more important to parenting than following God; if you
follow His in your parenting life it will transform your family. Get in the
habit of reading and studying the word of God and applying what you learn to
your life and it will change the way you interact with your children. The issue
with many parents is they expect the child to act and behave in a certain way
that they do not see practiced by their parents, it is good to lead by example
always and advice your children to do as you do and act as you act. The word of
God in Proverbs 22:6 says, “Train a child in the way he should go, and when he
is old he will not turn from it”. Children grow up knowing and practicing what
they saw being practiced and sometimes what they were taught while growing up.Condemnation of teenagers instead of teaching them the way to go has become the norm in churches as they are now more focused on performing miracles and do not pay particular attention to the behavior patterns and activities the teenagers are involved in and their lives outside church, one can argue that some of these “retreats” which teenagers go to are the cause of some of the negative outcomes for example, teenage pregnancies, fornication and also drug abuse. What happened to youth workers in churches?It is sad to note that those that are trusted to teach and take care of the teenagers in the church are the same people who indulge in shameless activities with the young generation and the adoption of the idea of a spiritually rooted youth worker is necessary in churches.
There are many risks associated with disobedience not only for the child but for the parent and the church as well. Unwanted pregnancies and the contraction of HIV are major risks for disobeying the word of God which clearly shuns fornication and sex before marriage. Parents are encouraged to pray for and with their children, prayer less parents have cause to tremble as it is evident that good is nothing but obeying God and evil is nothing but disobeying God.
About the writer: Thelmah Chandafira is a freelance journalist who holds a diploma in communication and journalism & is
currently studying for a diploma in Public Relations with CCOSA. She also
holds a certificate in business and financial reporting. A single mother to a 3 year old girl, Thelmah is
also an entreprenuer who is daring, easy going and not afraid of hard-work.She is the managing editor for Paradoka magazine.
* Pictures used in this article are not property of Paradoka magazine.
