Articles
Keeping Youth Grounded In The Truth
By Tim Frizzell
Reprinted from the November 2013 issue of “Gospel Advocate” Magazine.
A critical time when some young people lose their faith is when they leave home for the first time, often to go to college. Some do not totally lose their faith, but when they return home, it is so dramatically skewed that their beliefs are almost unrecognizable. Others leave home, and their faith becomes strong, and their roots grow deeper into the Word of God. How can we keep our youth grounded in the truth?
We as parents need to realize we are in a battle for the souls of our children. The opposing forces are strong, and we are not able to win this war alone. Satan and the temptations of this world are too strong for us to be confident in our own efforts to protect our children. We must rely foremost on God’s protection of our children’s souls and pray earnestly for the Lord’s intervention to keep their souls safe.
We do have a God-given responsibility, however, to bring our children up in the training and instruction of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4). Therefore, we must give every effort to prepare our children for their own battles with the world and with Satan. How can we help our children develop a strong faith of their own that grows stronger when tested instead of withering under the heat of trial?
The Example of Daniel
When we want to build a strong marriage and family, it is a good idea to study the lives of people who have healthy, successful marriages and families. The same is true when it comes to wanting our youth to grow strong in their faith when they leave home instead of growing weak. Let’s consider a remarkable young man who was snatched from everything familiar, taken far from home, yet who held onto and constantly deepened his faith in God. The young man is Daniel.
We know nothing about Daniel’s family from Scripture, but by studying his life, we get a clear picture of the lessons and values that were impressed on him at an early age. When we consider the upheaval that took place in Daniel’s life when he was a young man, it is truly impressive that he was able to hold onto his faith and stay grounded in truth.
