So we just started a new series in the student ministry...... Shhhhhhh! I'm not telling you to be quiet, that's the name of the series..... Shhhhhh! Prior to starting it, I didn't tell the kids anything about it other than the name. They thought we were going to be talking about being still and quiet, listening for God's voice, etc.... In actuality, the series is about all the things kids are experiencing, but not talking about with anyone other than each other. Porn, sex, self-mutilation, eating disorders, substance abuse, suicide, etc..... a real "feel good" series. But the point of the series is not the surface issues that we all see, it's about the root problems that manifest themselves into these visible results.

Things like self-centeredness (I know you probably aren't dealing with that with your kids, but I am), lust, and unbelief just to name a few. And by unbelief, I'm talking about the unbelief that God has your best interest in mind. Parents..... our kids think they know best. Thank you Captain Obvious, right? I know that doesn't shock any of you, but sometimes we just choose to ignore the repercussions of issues that are rooted down deep in our kid's hearts.

Things like porn are literally at our kid's fingertips. Gone are the days that finding some old magazine that someone's dad threw away was the only way that you would ever see any of that stuff. Our kids have it on their phone, their game systems (PSP, DS...they can all get wifi), computers, tv, etc...Their ideas of relationships are and what their role is in those relationships are many times completely perverted and distorted.

How do we combat these issues? We speak to our kids consistently about the root issues. I know you probably spend a lot of time combating selfishness, lying, and other similar issues, but how much time have you spent talking to your kids about the fact that God has their best interest in mind. And here's a thought..... He does even when we as parents do not.

I must admit, there have been times that I've tried to get my kids to do things that, if I'm honest with myself, I wanted them to do more than they wanted to do it. There are times that we may think we have their best interest in mind, but we fail to communicate with God on behalf of our kids. Let me challenge you to spend some time talking to God about your kids, and then talking to your kids about the fact that God has their best interest in mind. Choosing to follow His guidance and map of life is the only way we assure ourselves of the chance to navigate the paths before us.