PART 2.
So what should we do?
1. Pray and ask for divine intervention. Pray for your children and youth, your neighbor’s children, and children you know personally, and ask for God’s divine guidance and wisdom to guide them each day.
2. Offer hope directly to the children and you that you personally know.
3. Get involved in the lives of young people. Do NOT ignore them or throw money at them. This only makes the problem worse, and makes the individual’s problems much worse.
4. Be a positive role model.
5. If you are a parent or grandparent, take away the violent TV programs and video ga
mes, but do not stop there.
6. Offer positive times of conversation to build up their self esteem, and offer them the idea that
God loves them, and created them and called His creation “good” (Genesis 1).
PART 3.
What do kids and youth need from us?
1. Love!
2. A safe and loving home, school, and place of work or recreation.
3. Hugs and assurance that they can be happy and successful in this world, but do not paint false realities of wealth or happiness.
4. They also need to know the realities of life without making it so depressing. We should paint positive but realistic pictures of possibilities for them.
5. Let them know that their choices are very, very important. Once they become teens and older, every single decision is important and could change their entire future.
6. Let them know that education is very important without demanding unrealistic goals from them. Not every teen will make a 36 on their ACT, or receive an academic scholarship for college. Not every child is ready for college. We still need people who learn the trades of this world, who would never be happy at college, or the type of job this provides. Education is a broad term.
7. Listen to our youth and take them and their stories seriously.
8. Help them understand that popularity is not the most important thing. Help them know that their friends will change many times in their lifetime. High school and/or college are just short stops in this journey of life.
9. And last but first, talk with them about the love of God. Because I am in ministry of Christian faith, I personally believe every youth needs to be told about Jesus Christ. I realize people reject Christ everyday, but many have not been given the best opportunities or enough opportunities. We often allow teens in our homes to “make their own decisions” about going to church, youth meetings and their personal belief in God.
Why do we do this? We do not allow them to just quit school and sit home for them next 30 years watching TV. I personally believe that a relationship with the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ can be the answer for every youth or adult who is struggling in this life today. Even if you are not a parent or grandparent, simply stop and talk to youth when you can: at the grocery store, workers at Wal-Mart, at the malls, ballgames and every possible place. Offer them the best words of encouragement and wisdom that comes to mind. You never know---you just might save the lives of 32 other youth on a college campus one day.
So what should we do?
1. Pray and ask for divine intervention. Pray for your children and youth, your neighbor’s children, and children you know personally, and ask for God’s divine guidance and wisdom to guide them each day.
2. Offer hope directly to the children and you that you personally know.
3. Get involved in the lives of young people. Do NOT ignore them or throw money at them. This only makes the problem worse, and makes the individual’s problems much worse.
4. Be a positive role model.
5. If you are a parent or grandparent, take away the violent TV programs and video ga
mes, but do not stop there.6. Offer positive times of conversation to build up their self esteem, and offer them the idea that
God loves them, and created them and called His creation “good” (Genesis 1).
PART 3.
What do kids and youth need from us?
1. Love!
2. A safe and loving home, school, and place of work or recreation.
3. Hugs and assurance that they can be happy and successful in this world, but do not paint false realities of wealth or happiness.
4. They also need to know the realities of life without making it so depressing. We should paint positive but realistic pictures of possibilities for them.
5. Let them know that their choices are very, very important. Once they become teens and older, every single decision is important and could change their entire future.
6. Let them know that education is very important without demanding unrealistic goals from them. Not every teen will make a 36 on their ACT, or receive an academic scholarship for college. Not every child is ready for college. We still need people who learn the trades of this world, who would never be happy at college, or the type of job this provides. Education is a broad term.
7. Listen to our youth and take them and their stories seriously.
8. Help them understand that popularity is not the most important thing. Help them know that their friends will change many times in their lifetime. High school and/or college are just short stops in this journey of life.
9. And last but first, talk with them about the love of God. Because I am in ministry of Christian faith, I personally believe every youth needs to be told about Jesus Christ. I realize people reject Christ everyday, but many have not been given the best opportunities or enough opportunities. We often allow teens in our homes to “make their own decisions” about going to church, youth meetings and their personal belief in God.
Why do we do this? We do not allow them to just quit school and sit home for them next 30 years watching TV. I personally believe that a relationship with the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ can be the answer for every youth or adult who is struggling in this life today. Even if you are not a parent or grandparent, simply stop and talk to youth when you can: at the grocery store, workers at Wal-Mart, at the malls, ballgames and every possible place. Offer them the best words of encouragement and wisdom that comes to mind. You never know---you just might save the lives of 32 other youth on a college campus one day.
No comments:
Post a Comment