Trust & Obey

Wrapping up the discussion of how theology should impact our parenting.

Living to glorify God
Teaching and living out our beliefs and understanding of God (theology) needs to be super practical on a daily basis. We shouldn’t reserve discussions about faith and God for Sunday afternoons or the occasional family get together where we share what we are thankful for. Most of us will not invent a cure, write a hit song, or even become famous. Even if we do, most of our lives are spent in the mundane, day-to-day moments of making breakfast, driving around town, or walking the dog. These are the times where character is developed. Parents who want to teach their children how to love God and live for Him, need to make the most of these unspectacular moments at home, school, playing fields, church, or with friends. We want our teens to come to understand that their lives (all parts of it) were made to glorify God.

  “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” 1 Corinthians 10:31 (ESV)

Glorifying God means we please Him and show others what He is like through our actions, words, and our hearts. By asking two simple questions, we can train our teens to ask themselves these questions and learn to live for Him.

Trust
The first question is “What, in this situation, are the things I need to entrust into God’s capable and loving hands?” Our teens need to recognize that they have limitations and not everything in their lives is within their control to change. These are the things they need to turn over to a sovereign (possessing supreme or absolute power) God and trust Him for the results. So often, we try to do the things that are God’s instead of leaving them to Him. We try to change people; we try to make things happen and ultimately we are frustrated at the results.

Obey
The second question is “What, in this situation, are the things that God calls me to do that I cannot pass on to anyone else?” This requires us to be concrete and specific in the way we think about our calling from God. When we see what our responsibilities are according to the Bible, the only proper response is to obey. Our teens need to understand what God wants them to do and to obey HIM with loving, grateful hearts. It’s not all about obeying parents. Yes, that is one of the things God says to do, but getting their hearts on track to obey God is our primary goal.

Help your teenager see that every moment is God’s moment and that in every situation they are called to trust and obey God. I’m praying for you. Let me know how I can help or better serve you and your family.

in HIS service,

Pastor Mark

P.S. The themes and main ideas come from Paul David Tripp’s book “Age of Opportunity”. I’m summarizing what I read, adding my own thoughts and Scripture too.

You can read past posts on our church website HERE.