Welcome back men! What do you do when your child pushes away from the faith, resists your leadership, or walks a path you never wanted for them? In this final episode of Leading When It’s Hard, we’re looking toward biblical wisdom for guiding rebellious kids. Don’t miss this crucial conversation!
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How to Lead When Your Kids Are Rebelling: A Biblical Perspective
Parenting is one of the greatest blessings and challenges in life. It becomes even more difficult when our children stray from the faith, resist authority, or make choices that go against our values. Today, we’re in the final week of our Leading When It’s Hard series, and we’re tackling a topic that many parents face: leading when your kids are rebelling.
This conversation is complex because every family dynamic is different. Considerations include:
While each situation is unique, the Bible provides timeless wisdom for navigating this difficult journey. Let’s explore three key principles: praying, training and modeling, and loving unconditionally without affirming sin.
First and foremost, cover your child in prayer. Ask God to soften their heart and grant you wisdom in how to best lead them.
Philippians 4:6-7 – “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”
Worrying about our children seems like a natural part of parenting. From infancy through adulthood, our concerns grow as the consequences of their choices become more significant. However, Scripture does not give us an exception for worrying about our kids. It commands us not to worry about anything but to bring everything before God in prayer.
Additionally, while it’s natural to want to protect our children from pain, we should be careful not to pray away all consequences of their actions.
Consider the Parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32)—it was only when the son hit rock bottom that he came to his senses. If the father had prayed for his son to avoid hardship, the young man might never have returned home in repentance.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 – “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
Leading our children spiritually is not just about giving instructions—it’s about modeling the faith we want them to follow.
Proverbs 22:6 – “Direct your children onto
