When Junior says, "Quit pushing religion on me!"

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Have you ever heard this from your kids?

"Why do you Keep Trying to Make me a Christian!"
"You're always trying to stuff God down my throat!"
"Quit pushing your religion on me!"

Sometimes, as parents, we want to just throw in the towel. Who needs this? If the kid doesn't appreciate what your trying to teach, forget 'em, right?

Well, that might be what wells up in our throats in the heat of the argument, but deep down...we don't want to give up. Not if we really believe what Christ taught. These are our babies, our kids. We don't want them to struggle without Jesus in their lives. We don't want them to die.

So we have no choice. We might need to take a break, but when all is said and done, there is only one Truth... and God has given us a job as parents.

Deut. 6:4-7
"Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. [a] 5 Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.

One can gently stand firm in the Lord without being an obnoxious 'Bible Thumper.' Your child needs to know there is no compromise and even if your are choosing not to argue at this point in time, you have not changed your mind or submitted to the child's strong-willed heart.

Simply put;  "I love you. My standards will not waiver from the Truth. How was your Day."

Coming to terms with our job doesn't change the anger and rebellion emitting from a teen. We do the best we can, but because this is a spiritual war, the battle is very real, painful to both sides, and can go on for a long time. The teen might walk away as soon as they are able.   This is the hard part - continuing in the Truth, even while knowing your child is staying away because of it.

While some say that "this too shall pass," and your child will return eventually to the Truth he/she was raised in, that isn't necessarily true.  A child, in reckless rebellion, might die before they ever return to the Lord.  God has given us all Free Will.

That would be extremely terrible.  But the reverse would be worse.  To set aside the Lord for the purpose of pleasing the child - making the child more important than God, allowing your child to believe that he/she is right and God doesn't matter, and living for the pleasures of comfort here on earth - is a death sentence for both you and the child.  A child's free choice should not compromise your own choice to follow Truth.

Don't forget the testimony of Franklin Graham, former rebellious son of Billy Graham.
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