So, you think your parents don't understand you! With out a doubt, this is one of the most common concerns that Christian Teens come to me with! I receive so many letters suggesting that "Parents just don't understand teens." Yet is this really true? Even from a biblical perspective, are parents typically without understanding when it comes to "understanding what their teenagers are going through? Is your teen life really so different from your mother and father's teen years? Are the struggles that you're going through as a teen completely unique to your generation? Let's allow God's word to give us some insight to these questions and concerns! Solomon, who was recorded as one of the wisest men ever to live, had something to say about New things: Ecclesiastes 1:9 "That which has been is what will be, That which is done is what will be done, And there is nothing new under the sun." What is Solomon telling us? Things are not as New as you think! Sure there may be a little twist or even a Big twist on some things, but in general the struggles of man have stayed the same for years. Since the begining of the Human race there has been conflict between men. The first brothers on the earth had their struggles and Cain got so mad that he killed Abel. Since the beginning of time, man has had conflict with man. Todays schools have some serious problems with violence, but that does not mean that the schools your parents went to did not have some of the same problems. I'm sure not to the same degree. Unless of course they lived during the 60 and 70 when integration issues were a real concern and they would have seen a great deal of violence. Drugs are a serious problem today. Yet drugs and alcohol have been a struggle for thousands of years. The Bible is filled with warnings about alcohol problems in society. Certainly your parents were confronted with the drug problem to some degree. Perhaps in some cases more than their children. Sexual sins are everywhere in society, but that does not mean that your parent's generation did not deal with the same KINDS of social issues in their day. What I'm trying to show you is, All the issues of Right and Wrong have been around since the beginning of mankind. The book covers may have changed a bit, but the contents are still pretty much the same from generation to generation. Take a look at the following Bible passage and see for yourself: 1Corinthians 10:13, "No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it." What is the apostle Paul telling us? First, the temptations you face are "common to man." That means, the general category of temptation is nothing new. You may think or believe it's new, but it's not. Since the beginning of man, Adam and Eve struggled with taking or Not taking what God had forbidden. All the sins of man fall into these categories of Doing what God has said "No" to, or Not doing what God HAS told us to do. Your parents faced all the same kinds of issues that you face like: Ungodly Music Ungodly Dating Ungodly Activities ( drugs, fornication, worldly practices of all kinds) Unrighteous people (violent, perverted, wicked, etc) Yea! It may be hard to believe that your old... Old parents could possible have faced the same Kinds of problems that you face, but it's true, right down to the acne problem. Right down to the problem of feeling all alone and like your parents don't understand you. Could it possible be that the Teens don't really understand where the parents are coming from? Is it possible that you need to give mom and dad more credit for what they know? Perhaps, what you're struggling with right now is something that your mom and dad have already experienced, long before you were born and they could actually share with you how they got through it all. One thing is sure according to 1Corinthians 10:13, "God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it." Wow! That means, no temptations Teens are dealing with are unusual temptations or unique temptations. It also means that God will give Christian teens a way of escape. God has given you His Word, His Spirit, and Parents that care (if your parents are saved). Let me make a BOLD suggestion here! You may feel like your parents don't understand what you're going through, but they probably have more understanding than you realize. Give them a chance! Ask them to help and give advice. Be honest and open with your parents about what's on your mind and why your hurting inside. I believe you'll find out that Mom and Dad have, many years ago, gone through the same things you're going through Right Now. Try hard to understand Mom and Dad and you may just find that they understand you more than you think!

last update 2/26/05

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