When Kids Go Astray

I came from a crazy, broken home, but when I became a Christian, my life changed. In my early days as a Christian, I would meet some kids who were rebelling against God. They told me how they came from homes where there was hypocrisy.

So I told them they had no idea what a bad home looked like. Why would they not walk with God?

Of course, I later began to realize what hypocrisy does. In some ways, it’s almost better to come from a home of complete unbelief than from a home where parents say they’re Christians but don’t live it.

That’s because when you’re raised in the kind of home that I was, which was godless, you know that it isn’t good. I knew that I didn’t want that. I knew there had to be something better. At the very least, I knew it wasn’t an example to follow.

On the other hand, if a mom and dad say they’re Christians and contradict it. If they’re fighting, screaming, getting drunk, or even breaking up, it’s the worst thing they can do to their kids. They’ve given their children an excuse for their unbelief.

Live a godly life. Show your kids what love looks like. Show them what a good marriage looks like.

Sometimes, however, children still go astray, and we feel like we have failed somehow. My own sons both strayed from their faith for a time. But we never gave up on them. And both of them came back to Christ.

Maybe you haven’t talked to your children for a while. They don’t want your faith, and they don’t want your life. It’s hard, but don’t give up. And know this: Your children can escape your presence, but they can never escape your prayers. So keep praying for them.