My Mom and Dad are constantly lecturing me and they always begin with “Well, when I was your age…” Why can’t my parents understand what it’s like to be a teenager today?
Do you want the good news first or the bad news?
Let’s get the bad news out of the way first. Check out Luke 2:41-51. It’s the story of Jesus just about the time He became a teenager. He somehow didn’t make connections with His folks and got separated from them. When His parents found Him, the conversation went like this:
“And He said to them, ‘Why is it that you were looking for Me? Did you not know that I had to be in My Father’s house? And they did not understand the statement which He had made to them. And He went down with them, and came to Nazareth; and He continued in subjection to them; and His mother treasured all these things in her heart” (Luke 2:49-51).
Sound familiar? Here is the bad news. If the parents of Jesus didn’t understand Him, don’t be surprised if yours don’t understand you sometimes. Remember, your parents grew up in a different era. your parents were probably born just about the time TV was invented! It is not easy for them to relate to your generation, but neither was it easy for their parents to relate to them. Every generation struggles to understand the next generation.
But the good news is, you can respond the same way that Jesus did. As a Christian you have the power to do that. Philippians 4:13 says: “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.”
The Teenage Q&A Book, page 3
Question: What is one thing you can do today to respond differently to your parents?
Question: What is something that you can do to help your parents understand you better?
