Live for Christ at Home
Build a heart-connection with your teen that will bring your whole family together.
How do we as teenagers, live for Christ at home with our families? If you are growing up in a Christian church, you have probably heard messages like, “Be a light in your community! Reach your friends for Christ! Show Christ’s love to others!”
While all of this is true and important, I believe that we frequently neglect to practice these things within our homes and with our families. The home is where our true character is revealed and the sad truth is that our families often get the worst of our personalities. Think of it this way. When was the last time you stormed out of a classroom after yelling at your teacher? The answer for many of us would be never. However, when was the last time you yelled or got annoyed at a parent or sibling?
Living for Christ goes so much deeper than just being a “good person” at school or church. One of the greatest tests of spiritual maturity is our attitude and actions towards our own family. Throughout high school, I was constantly being told what a good kid I was and how mature I was. And at home my parent were encouraging me but pointing out immaturities that they could see and I was legitimately blind to. And they’d point these things out to me and I’d be like you guys are crazy everyone else just tells me how great I am why can’t you just agree. maybe some of you have a similar issue with your parents. And for all of I want this to sink in that who you are at home, is who you really are. All of my selfishness, and rudeness to my family thats who I really was. And if who I am at home is who I really am, it doesn’t take long to see that my character needs some serious improvement. I need to grow in Christlikeness. We all do! I think we can all agree that we are all sinful, but that growth to become more like Christ begins with who we are at home and with our families. God needs to do a work in my own heart and turning my heart to my family as a part of my life on mission for Him.
I will be the first to admit that living for Christ at home is a struggle! As a natural extrovert, I tend to give my energy and passion to things outside my home without thinking of how God might use me to minister and bless my family.
More Help & Resources for Teens & Parents of Teens
Lissy Rienow Speaks at the National Grandparenting Conference
Encouragement for Teens: Living for Christ at Home, Part 1
This is the first in a series of posts by Lissy Rienow that will address how, as teenagers, we can learn to be Christians with our families.
Who We Are at Home Is Who We Really Are
Have you ever had one of your daughter’s teachers go on and on about how well she is doing in class, how respectful she is, and how considerate she is of the other students? You hear all this while struggling to remember the last time you experienced these same virtues at home. Who your son or daughter is at home is who they really are.
The Power of Servant Leadership
In our culture and communities, we talk a lot about leadership. How can you be a leader among your friends? How can you be a leader at school? How can you be a leader in the world? However, although leadership is a valuable attribute, I believe that we have lost one of the most important aspects of leadership. Like anything in life, we can look to the Bible to find what it means to be a true leader.
Sorrow and Hope
As many of you know, Amy’s brother John died in an accident almost two months ago. He and his wife Meg, along with his five children, are all very close to our family. Since his passing we have been...
Give Me Your Heart
Solomon writes to his son in Proverbs 23 saying, “My son, give me your heart.” For many teenagers this sounds strange. What does it mean to “give our heart” to our parents?
