Control Vs. Influence.

There once was a young man named Bobby Boucher. Bobby was raised in the Louisiana bayou. Bobby’s Mama loved him dearly! Out of that love, she tried her best to protect Bobby from the evils of this world. But little by little, her desire to love and protect Bobby turned into a constant effort to control Bobby.

This worked while Bobby was a child. Incredibly, Mama even managed to keep Bobby controlled through his teen years. Then Bobby headed off to college. And on that first day in the college classroom, Mama’s control over Bobby’s life got him into a bit of trouble.

Let’s watch what happened.

The Path Toward Control

Over the next few posts, we’ll be looking at the season of parenting teens. Clearly, this was an extreme (and quite humorous) example. However, much like Bobby’s Mama, as parents, our desire to love and protect our children, can easily lead down a path toward controlling them.

Controlling a child may be relatively easy when they’re young. However, unlike Bobby, it’s almost never sustainable once they hit their teen years.

How Should We Raise Our Teenagers?

For the Christian parent, we seek to find answers in the Bible. But finding direct answers in Scripture can be difficult.

About a month ago we discussed, “The Passion of Youth” highlighting the season of being a youth. In that study, we learned that when the word “youth” appears in Scripture, it doesn’t directly translate to teenager. In fact, Biblical “youth” didn’t live in a teenage world at all!

Older children and younger teens, ages 10 through 15 are focused on learning the family trade or household responsibilities. And they were fully aware that by their late teens, they’d be looking for a spouse and beginning their adult lives. Biblically, the word or concept of “teenagers” just didn’t exist in Biblical times.

Where’s the “Parenting Teenagers” Passage?

Maybe you’re thinking, “Wait for a second Jeremy, you’re saying God doesn’t have a ‘Parenting Teenagers’ passage? Paul never wrote, ‘to the parents of teenagers at Ephesus’?” Nope, unfortunately not.

The concept of a teenager is relatively new historically. The concept of parenting a teenager is still being established, with only a few generations of background. This is why finding direct Biblical content can be difficult.

Don’t Fret Quite Yet!

There are some amazing passages that may not have been written directly to parents of teenagers, but hold incredible value for those parents. Over the next few posts, we’ll unpack these passages.

We’ll learn that parenting teenagers are a faith-filled journey, that has a lot to do with relinquishing control and focusing on influence.

Join the Conversation, Leave Your Thoughts

• In your opinion, why is parenting teenagers so difficult?
• How would you describe the difference between control and influence?
• What advice would you give to parents of teenagers?