Browsing Tag

parents

Daily Bible Verse and Devotion – Colossians 3:20

Posted on October 14, 2024

Children, always obey your parents, for this pleases the Lord. – Colossians 3:20

This verse isn’t really one we like to hear. It’s a lot easier to grumble, complain, and talk bad about our parents than it is to obey them. In fact, the idea of having to obey your parents can seem horrible at times. However, this verse tells us that in spit of all that, we should be obeying them.

The end of the verse tells us that obeying our parents pleases the Lord. So part of your motivation for obeying your parents should be that it pleases God. This verse doesn’t challenge you to obey your parents if you agree with what they say, or if your mom is being really nice to you. It says to obey them. So regardless of whether you have the best parents or the worst parents, obedience is asked of you.

Obeying your parents isn’t always going to be the easy thing to do, but if you put in the work and choose to keep a good attitude and obey, you’ll be pleasing God and setting yourself up for success in other areas as well.

 

Daily Bible Verse and Devotion – February 21

Posted on February 21, 2018

Daily Bible Verse and Devotion - Teens Getting Along With Parents

If you honor your father and mother, “things will go well for you, and you will have a long life on the earth.” – Ephesians 6:3 (NLT)

I used to think that honoring my parents meant I had to agree with everything they did or said. There were times when I would get so mad because I felt that my parents didn’t understand me, and I couldn’t understand their actions. However, one day I was reading this Bible verse and it dawned on me that this verse wasn’t talking about agreement. It didn’t say that I had to agree or even see eye to eye with my parents on every decision. Instead I was supposed to honor them.

Honor isn’t really a term used all that often, but it’s sort of like respect. I realized that I was supposed to respect my parents. I didn’t have to agree with everything they did or said, but I was to still respect them. From that day on, I stopped complaining to my friends about how bad my parents were and stopped talking about them behind their back.

I chose rather, to give them some respect. I might not agree with every decision they made or how they handled things, but I needed to give them room to speak into my life and hear them out. I really feel like my relationship with my parents changed from that point on. Instead of me always being frustrated, I was more at peace. I stopped being angry at my parents and began to respect them. I challenge you to do the same if you’re not already. Decide today to stop bad mouthing your parents and being angry at them. Choose instead to respect them and treat them well.

Need help talking to your parents? Check out this devo with helpful tips for communicating with your parents.

How to Deal – Tips for Communicating With Parents

Posted on August 15, 2016

Youth Group Leader Lesson Outline

In this devotion, we’re talking about some practical tips on how to communicate with your parents.

Dealing with your parents, guardians or other authority figures in your life can be tough at times. It’s often easy to feel misunderstood by your parents or other authority figures in your life. Perhaps you feel like your parents aren’t in touch with reality and don’t really understand you. That’s why we’re going to give you some practical ways to improve your communication with your parents.

Communication is more than just talking

Improving your communication skills with your parents is an effective way to improve your relationship with your parents. However, communication is more than talking. Almost everyone talks to their parents. They ask them things like take me to the mall. Or perhaps they ask for money, or to spend the weekend at a friend’s house. Perhaps they complain about a curfew or a chore they have to do. These things are not effective communication with parents. Complaining, asking for things or yelling ‘hi’ as you run out the door is not communicating with your parents.

Communication is key to having a good relationship with your parents. Learning to communicate with your parents is very important. The relationship you have with your parents will be one of the longest relationships you will have. Your friends may change when you go to college, but your parents will remain your parents for the rest of your life. Learning to communicate effectively with your parents is important because your parents will be a lasting relationship in your life.

Communication helps re-negotiate effectively.

Maybe you wish that your parents treated you more like an adult. Or perhaps you wish that you were able to get your point across to your parents better. Here are a few tips on how to talk to your parents about what is bugging you.

If you’re wanting to talk to your parents about a rule that you’d like to see changed, there are more effective ways than just complaining to your parents.

  1. Look at your history. You shouldn’t expect more freedoms to be given to you if you haven’t done well under your parent’s current rules. Building trust with your parents takes time. If you’re consistently home late or not doing your homework or chores then you shouldn’t expect your parents to respond well to your request for changing a rule. Instead, you should begin doing things that prove to your parents that you are responsible. If you’re going to be late, even ten minutes, call your parents. If you have chores, do them. If you do these types of things, you begin to show your parents that you are responsible. Then, when you come to them with a request for a new freedom or responsibility, they’ll be much more likely to grant it.

    Galatians 6:9 – Don’t get tired of helping others.  You will be rewarded when the time is right if you don’t give up (CEV)

  2. Don’t be demanding. When you are communicating with your parents, don’t go into the conversation with a list of demands. Instead be thankful. Be grateful for all your parents do for you. When you enter a conversation being grateful and showing your parents respect, you’ll be surprised at how much better the conversation goes.
  3. Think about your approach. If you’re requesting a new freedom or responsibility, you should give your parents good reasons why you’re ready for the freedom. An example of this would be: I deserve to stay out an hour later on Friday nights because I’ve been home on time every night for the past month. You could point out that you’ve gotten all A’s and B’s on your report card. Also, take time to explain how you’ll handle the new freedom you’re requesting. If you’re asking for a curfew extension, mention that you’ll call them if you’re running late and keep them updated on where you’re at during the night.
  4. Be prepared if the answer is no. Decide to keep a good attitude regardless of what your parents say. Throwing a temper tantrum is not a good solution. If you’ll stay positive when the answer is no you show your parents that you’re starting to act like an adult. By keeping a good attitude, you are displaying maturity.

What does honor mean?

“Honor your father and mother” is the first commandment that has a promise attached to it, namely,  “so you will live well and have a long life.”  – Eph 6:2-3 (Message)

What does it mean to honor?  Does it mean that you have to always agree with your parents or see eye to eye with them on everything? No. It means that you have to respect them and appreciate their place in your life. God encourages us to do this because it makes your life so much easier. If you do this, you will live well.

Appreciating your parents will help you out in the long run. It makes your life easier and gives you more freedom in the long run. It might seem kind of backwards but by following the rules instead of butting our head against them lots of time we can get more freedom.

You can get along with your parents. It might take some work and a lot of maturity, but you can do it. Choose to honor your parents, and speak well of them. You’ll be surprised at how much better your communication with them is if you stop demanding things from them, and start showing them respect.

If you’re a youth leader and you liked this devotion, we’ve got a youth group lesson outline available for download in our online resource center.

Tips for Successful Relationships

Posted on February 11, 2015

Relationships are tricky. Whether its a friendship, parent, boss, teacher, boyfriend, or girlfriend, it can be hard to know how to handle difficult relationships. How do you handle the parent that you don’t agree with? Or the teacher that rubs you the wrong way? Or the boyfriend that broke up with you for no apparent reason?

The book of Ruth offers some awesome suggestions for handing difficult relationships. Ruth found herself in a bad spot. Her husband died. She had to decide what she was going to do next. She chose to follow her mother-in-law to a new country. Ruth didn’t have to go, but she chose to. Then when they arrive in the new country, her mother-in-law wasn’t all that nice to be with. She was sad and depressed. Not the kind of person you’d respect and work hard for. Ruth did something amazing though, she stayed with her mother-in-law and stayed true to God.

But Ruth replied, “Don’t ask me to leave you and turn back. Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. – Ruth 1:16 (NLT)

There is an important lesson in here when it comes to relationships. Its this, respecting God and authority will help you out in the long run. That is exactly what Ruth did. She respected her authority, her mother-in-law. Regardless of Naomi’s attitude and outlook on life, she chose to respect her and stick with her. Ruth also chose to stick with God. She chose to serve God and follow after Him.

The awesome thing about these two decisions is how they brought Ruth success. Ruth ended up marrying a very rich and successful guy. She got an awesome outcome to her life’s story. And it all started with her simply respecting authority and God in her life.

Authority relationships in your life can be tough. It can be hard to respect those in charge of you. But its important to do. It can bring you into success in ways you’ve never imagined, just like Ruth.

The other thing Ruth did was to follow God. Her decision to follow after God wasn’t easy for her. But it led her into good things.

Look at your own life? Have you made the same decision Ruth did? Have you decided to follow God? No matter where that might lead you? Have you put your trust in Him? And have you been respectful of the authority that is in your life? Doing these two things will set you on a path to success that you’ve never dreamed of! Choose to follow God and respect authority.

Help! My Parents Are Getting A Divorce – Part 2

Posted on August 20, 2014

parents-divorce-teen-advice-lesson

Dealing with your parents’ divorce is not a cake walk. Perhaps one of the main things bothering you emotionally is unforgiveness. Its easy when divorce happens to want to place blame on someone or even on yourself. You may think that if you had done something different, your parents wouldn’t be divorcing. Or perhaps you might place the blame on your mom because you think if she had just been more understanding to your dad, your family might not be falling apart.

In these situations, its easy to place blame and point fingers. You might want to hold a grudge to one parent or maybe even both. You find yourself being upset at them and wishing that things were different. So how do you begin working through these feelings of unforgiveness?

The first thing to do is forgive yourself. Your parent’s decision to divorce most likely had nothing to do with you. You’ve got to realize that you are not to blame. You have to let go of those thoughts that come and make you think that the divorce was all your fault. That is simply not true. You have got to choose to line your thoughts up with God’s word and choose to think on the truth. The truth in this situation is that your parents are divorcing because of reasons outside of you and your control. It is not your fault, so don’t listen to the lies that say it is.

Secondly, you’ve got to let go of any unforgiveness that you’re holding against others. You might blame your mom, or your dad for the divorce. And while it may be one of their faults, you’ve got to look past that. You’ve got to choose to forgive your parents for getting a divorce. You’ve got to choose to not dwell on their shortcomings but rather love them with God’s love.

The Bible talks about forgiveness in Matthew 18. There it tells us that we are to forgive and keep forgiving time and time again.

At that point Peter got up the nerve to ask, “Master, how many times do I forgive a brother or sister who hurts me? Seven?” Jesus replied, “Seven! Hardly. Try seventy times seven. – Matthew 18:21-22

 

We are to forgive and keep forgiving. No matter what happens. No matter how much your parents don’t deserve it, we are told to keep forgiving.

One of the most important steps to overcoming after divorce is learning to forgive. Forgiveness will keep your heart right and keep you from getting bitter toward others. Choose to follow what God’s word says and forgive others and yourself.

 

Check out this book: Abba: Finding Comfort in the Father After Your Parents’ Divorce it deals with a lot of the emotions that you have to work through after a divorce and offers good advice and ways to allow God to help you heal after the pain of your parent’s divorce.

 

Similar Youth Devotions

Help! My Parents Are Getting A Divorce

Posted on August 13, 2014

parents-divorce-teen-advice-lesson

Divorce is never an easy thing to deal with. When your parents go through a divorce you’re faced with tons of different emotions. You have to  face living in a different home or splitting time between two different homes, possibly feelings of abandonment and many other things. What do you do when it feels like your world as you knew it is now crumbling around you? Who should you turn to and what should you do?

  1. Get the help you need. Most likely your parents divorce is affecting you. Probably more than you might let on to your friends or other family members. Its okay to feel angry, upset, let down and hurt at different times. Its okay if you need some help sorting through all your emotions and feelings. Get some help if you need it.
    Don’t be afraid to get help if you need it. You’ve got people in your life that can direct you to get the help you need. A good place to start is by asking your pastor or youth pastor. They’ll be able to direct you to someone that you can talk to, or help you themselves. They also will be able to give you some resources to help you deal with this hard time in your life.
  2. Go to God. It is easy in hard times like a divorce to pull away from God. Maybe you don’t understand why this is happening to you. Its easy when you don’t understand why to want to pull away from God. However, in hard times is when you need God the most.
    Spend time reading your Bible and asking God to help heal your emotional hurts. He is able to be a father to you when maybe your father isn’t. He’s able to be a friend when you feel all alone. God is faithful and will be there when it feels no one else is. Don’t turn away from God in tough times, but pull close to Him.
    God heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds. – Psalm 147:3 (CEB)
  3. Give yourself time. It will take some time to work through your emotions. Don’t be unrealistic in your expectations of how long it will take you to heal emotionally. It will take time before things feel right in your life. Don’t get down on yourself if you have a bad day. Know that some days will be better than others. Give yourself some time to heal.

Divorce is never easy. It is hard on all those involved. The most important thing you can do is to use this tough time to bring you closer to God. God can heal the hurts inside of you that no one else can.

 

Check out this book: Abba: Finding Comfort in the Father After Your Parents’ Divorce it has lots of Jenny’s real-life feelings and stories of going through her parent’s divorce and also solid Bible teaching about how to deal with a divorce.

Similar Youth Devotions

Peanut Butter Cups and Parents

Posted on April 27, 2013

Devotion for Teens - Parents
In my opinion, Reeses Peanut Butter Cups are the best candy in the world. To me, opening a bag of them is literally one of the best things in life! I remember one day I had bought a brand new bag of Reeses and before I could eat them I had to run a quick errand. When I was done with the errand, I went to stick my hand in the bag to start eating them. At that moment, I was faced with the horrible realization that my bag of peanut butter cups had melted together into one nasty giant mess of peanut butter, chocolate and wrapper in my hot car. That was not a good day!

Sometimes dealing with your parents can seem a little like that melted mangled bag of peanut butter cups. It can seem like a sticky, oozy gooey disgusting mess of emotions and frustration inside you. As a teenager, it can be hard dealing with your parents at times. You might feel like they are out of touch with reality. Perhaps you feel that they don’t understand you or that the rules they ask you to follow are absurd and taking all your fun away.

If you feel this way, we’ve got a few tips to help you deal with your parents more successfully.

  1. You will not always agree with your parent’s decisions – You have a different viewpoint than your parents do. That being said, you will not always agree with all decisions that they make. When you disagree, its important to not throw a fit, scream, pout or cry. Instead, show maturity by talking to them about your viewpoint like an adult. If they still don’t come around and see things from your perspective, decide to have a good attitude anyway. In life, you will not always get your way, so decide to be happy regardless.
  2. You should respect your parents – This probably sounds like a curse word, but its true nonetheless. The Bible says in Ephesians 6:1 – “Obey your parents because you belong to the Lord, for this is the right thing to do.” (NLT)
    You don’t have to be best friends with your parents, but you are required to honor and obey them. This means you shouldn’t be bad mouthing them, or disrespecting them. Instead, even when you don’t agree with them choose to respect them. This will set you up for success throughout your life.

Dealing with your parents can be hard at times. It can seem like they don’t get you or understand you. The main thing to remember is that no matter how hard it gets, God asks us to honor and respect our parents. That doesn’t mean when they do things we like, but also when they drive us crazy. Make the decision to respect your parents regardless of how you feel about them.