“He wants you to enjoy the happiness that He has." ~ John
15:11
Evan was raised in a Christian
home, had wonderful parents, memorized hundreds of bible verses and actively
participated in his church’s Youth Group.
But by the time he got to high school he’d grown bored with everything
that had to do with God and religion. He
knew all the stories - Christ was born in human form and died for our sins. Blah, blah, blah.
Facing punishment for missing curfew one night, he reacted
by ‘officially’ shutting the door on God – defiantly stating that he didn’t
believe ‘all that stuff.’ Words flew
from his mouth that he never thought he'd even think, let alone say out loud.
Evan knew instantly from his parent’s look that he’d hit the
mark. In that instant their relationship
shattered into glassy shards. Nothing
would ever be the same again.
College brought endless nights of partying, clubbing,
boozing, girl chasing and drug abuse. He
was having the time of his life.
He even met special young lady and fell in love. With that relationship came a tight-knit group
of her caring friends. He had it all –
someone who loved him and a loyal network to boot.
Deep down however, Evan had become a greedy, self-absorbed
SOB. Neglect for his girlfriend led to a
nightmarish, downward spiral. She
eventually left as did many of her friends. Shattered and broken, he’d waged this battle
against himself. Life on his terms had
NOT worked; by trying to create his own definition and meaning, he’d cut off
the only Anchor who gave real meaning and definition to life itself.
So he cried out to God and, for the first time, he heard God
answer and rescued Evan from the rubble of his self-destruction. From that moment on he promised to praise God
as his Lord and Savior. Next he’d work
on repairing the relationship he’d destroyed with his parents.
Parents, no matter how hard your teens may fight against God
– the key to them possibly coming back to church one day is your unwavering
love for them. Parents who lovingly lead
by example; are patient with their child’s growth as individuals; and are not
ashamed to hold on to the one and only, absolute Truth – will always be seen in
their children’s eyes as a strong, admirable example.
When teens fight you about Church, it usually has little to
do with their beliefs about God. More
likely, your teen’s apparent rejection of their faith has to do with one of two
things; 1) personal experience with suffering they can’t understand or 2) a
breakdown of their relationship with you.
Eventually, they’ll realize the emptiness of worldly
promises and discover that only Christ can deliver the peace and lasting joy
they seek.
Holy Father, we pray that You work in the hearts
of Young people all over the world.
Bring peace to all parents by encouraging them in their faith and by
serving as profound examples of unconditional love. Amen
