Christian Parenting 101

Lesson 6: How does a Christian Parent deal with Dating, Sex, Drugs, and Violence?

Violence

Youth violence is often tied in with drug use, immature acting out, and poor role models. Sometimes, a child may fall into the trap of thinking that if s/he starts out as the aggressor, nobody else will try to hurt her/him. It is vital that children are taught from an early age on to respect others. A few suggestions along this line are:

• Ensure that your child understands the nature of God
  If your child understands that God is love (1), s/he will understand what kind of conduct is expected of her/him. There was no better way for God to express his love than Jesus on the cross, and similarly, s/he will understand that if God went to such an extent to show love and mercy to a people so unworthy, how much more should s/he let little things go before they turn into big issues.
• Show your child how Jesus strove to be compassionate to all He encountered
  He befriended untouchables when he could have healed them with a word (2). He stopped a citywide parade because of a blind beggar (3). He put an outsider’s cup to his lips (4). He had lunch with someone whom nobody wanted to befriend. (5).
• Teach your child how to have a tender heart toward those who might offend her/him
  Jesus wept over a city that would shortly demand his execution (6).
• Teach your child patience
  Jesus was patient with everyone on a consistent basis. He gave of Himself to those who were ungrateful, (7). He endured numerous crowds who demanded His constant attention.
• WWJD...not just a saying
  Your child must understand that Jesus, who called her/him to be His follower, was without sin, even in the face of temptation. (8) This means that since He never once wished bad things to happen to others, never once had a slanderous or proud thought, never once gave in to a bitter thought or attitude, never once indulged in gossip, flattery or insensitivity, we, too, therefore have been called to imitate these actions and attitudes.

The foregoing will go a long ways to teach your child compassion, love and tenderness for others, and will help her/him to turn away from temper, force, or nasty attitudes to get her/his way. It will also help her/him to identify those who subscribe to violence to get their way, and it will most likely not have any appeal to her/him, since it will violate your child’s deepest convictions.

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(1) 1 John 4:16
(2) Matthew 8:2-3, Mark 1:40-42, Luke 5:12-13
(3) Mark 10:46-52
(4) John 4:4-10
(5) Luke 19:1-10
(6) Luke 19:41
(7) Luke 17:12-19
(8) Hebrews 4:15

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