Be Patient with Your Parents

Teenagers are often surprised when I tell them to be patient with their parents. I try to explain to teens that their parents have never raised a teenager before and they probably don’t know what they are doing. Most parents are not prepared for the task of raising kids. Many hospitals provide child birth classes and some even provide help with caring for a new born child. We have a friend who works at a local hospital who is a lactation expert. She coaches new mothers with breast feeding and caring for their babies. But, I don’t know of any hospital that provided classroom training on how to be a good parent.

Most teenagers are going through the transition from dependence to independence. They are still dependent on their parents for basic needs like food, clothing, housing and money. But they want to enjoy the privileges of independence when it comes to the use of their time and their choice of friends. It is a delicate balance that parents and teens navigate together.

A number of outstanding teenagers are mentioned in the Bible. Joseph was probably a teenager when God encouraged him when he was mistreatment by his brothers who sold him into slavery (Genesis 37). David was probably a teenager when God gave him the courage to protect his father’s sheep and to defeat the giant Goliath (First Samuel 17). Daniel was probably a teenager when he was taken from his home into exile in Babylon and he refused to compromise his faith (Daniel 1). Mary was probably a teenager when she gave birth to Jesus and raised him in Nazareth (Luke 2).

Luke shares an interesting story about Jesus’ relationship with his earthly parents when he was almost a teenager. He was actually twelve years old when he went with his parents to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover. But when his parents left to return to Nazareth, Jesus stayed behind in the city to listen and ask questions of the religious leaders (Luke 2:41-52). His parents were alarmed by his absence and searched for three days until they found him in the Temple courts.  Luke tells us that Jesus returned home with them and submitted to their authority. If you are a teenager, let me encourage you to be patient with your parents, listen to their wisdom and obey their rules. And, if you are parent, let me encourage you to love your teens and pray for wisdom as you guide them during their teenage years. You will be glad you did and they will too!