Helping Teens to Be Wise in Troubled Times
This week on Homeschool Highschool Podcast: Helping Teens to Be Wise in Troubled Times. Helping Teens to Be Wise in Troubled Times Vicki works with teens and adults in her counseling practice. She has learned that in our world of current events, times can get people stressed out, anxious, and worried. Then, it's sometimes hard to be wise and maintain a Christ-like character. However, we want to be wise. We want to maintain a Christlike character and give our teens the tools to do that. Let's talk about some spiritual and practical tools for being wise and Christlike during troubled times. Here are a few ideas: Proverbs 1:6 tells us that the fear (reverence or awe) of God is the beginning of knowledge. (Wisdom belongs to people who fear God, those who despise it are fools.) So, during troubled times, our teens (and we adults) will be wiser if we are spending more energy on finding the ways to show reverence to God or experience His awe. (One beautiful way to experience awe is to go outside for a walk, or take a nature field trip. Look for beautiful things God created, such as the sky, clouds, birds, trees. Express some gratitude. You will find awe.) What would Jesus do? Probably not act out angrily, argue with difficult people at holiday dinners. Not only that, we probably would not be doing what Jesus would do if we allow ourselves to become swallowed with fear about the situations in politics or the world. Remember, God did not give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7). Model for your teens how to pray, then let go and let God when they feel afraid. Grow in the fruit of the spirit Galatians 5:22-23 says that the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, and self control. So, if fruit of the spirit is growing from our spirit, and flowing out of our mouths, we can model that fruit for our teens. When we are our teens about the fruit of the spirit, then we can go through troubling times in a way that keeps us in line with God. AND maybe even might lead people to Christ who watch us. Pray One of the best gifts a parent can give a teen during these troubled times is the gift of prayer and listening to God (rather than constantly listening to the news). I have found it useful to help my teens pray for the nation. One way to pray for our country is asking God to bring 2 Chronicles 7: 14 alive in Christians' lives: If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and forgive their sin, and will heal their land. This is a promise that God gave to the Israelites back in the day. We can still see tbis "healing of the land" happen occasionally. People of faith have occasionally humbled themselves. and prayed together and sought God's face and turned from their own wicked ways (you know, own meanness, selfishness, crankiness...). Then God in those times has heard from heaven and forgiven their sins. And for a period of time has healed their land. There were great revivals. (Look up the story of the 1904 revival that swept the globe.) There's also 2 Timothy 2:1-2 I exhort therefore, first of all, That supplications, prayers, intercession, giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings, and for all that are in authority,
