How You Always Meant to Parent

When you look at your teens as having the same Holy Spirit in them as you have in you, it changes the way you see them. When you believe the same Holy Spirit is doing a work in them just like He is in you, it changes the way you parent them. It changes the way you do life together. Now you can see him as a person who you want to guard and coach and champion, not simply because he is your son who you are obligated to raise into a responsible adult, but because you know what it takes to make it as a Christ-follower in this world.

You are the only person who plays such a dual relational role in your child’s life. You get to be a parent as well as their brother or sister in Christ. Stop to ponder that for a moment. No one else gets to serve your child in that way. Not their youth pastor, not their best friend,

Yes, God wants to connect with you personally, but for the purpose of showing you how to connect with others. Likewise, Christ wants to love you so He can love through you. With that thought in mind, you can invite your child to be a part of your own spiritual journey. You can be sojourners together.