Why do Christian kids rebel?
I am reading a book right now by Tim Kimmel called "Why Christian Kids Rebel." Which is funny because first of all I have no children and second, I am a preachers kid(pk) and never really got into any kind of deliberate rebellion. It intrigued me because I have always been stereotyped this way...."Those preachers kids are the worst." Ever heard that? Well, it's not true. In his book he has a theory, one that I've believed my self for a long time, but could never find the words. He found them. Here is his theory, "As parents, our freightened reaction to the serious moral crisis within our culture may be the very thing that turns our kids off our faith."
How so? Here is what I think. Do you believe in Jesus Christ? Do you also realize that technically God's word tell us as followers of Jesus that we really shouldn't be afraid of anything? It does. Especially the Godless state of our culture. In John 16:33 Jesus said, "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." What do you think He meant by that? It means we should be concerned about the world, but not frieghtened. Otherwise, we are sending our kids an untrue message of what we believe. The fear that drives how we church our kids, how we educate them, the fellowship we provide for them, and how we entertain them may well be why so many christian kids want very little to do with what we are selling here.
Okay, can we take the blinders off just for a second? Many of you may not agree with what I have to say next, but try to keep an open mind here. Even if you don't, and you think I'm a loon, that's okay, I still love you and so does Jesus. Our fears have made matters worse for our kids. Our fears about our culture have helped guarantee it's further plument into the it's dark depths. Depths filled with despair and indecency. Stay with me. The more we pull away from "the world," even if it is for the protection of our children, the more that the world is left in the dark. Where are all the lights? All the while, the artificial world we have created to raise our children is tailor-made to create spiritual "apathy" in our kids souls. Amen or ouch.
I was taught this, and I think it still applies. RULES without RELATIONSHIP = REBELLION Rules are awesome, really. But are they bathed in grace and love. Do your kids know why you have the rules that you do? Check out the book, it's awesome.