Many of you knew I was recently traveling with my 13-year-old son, what was the opportunity?My wife and I promised each of our children that at 13 they would make a special trip with one of us, my son with me and each of my daughters with my wife, the purpose of these trips is first and foremosm to have fun and enjoy each other’s company, so everyone chooses their destination (it must be at a maximum distance of one day by car) , also determine the essentials of the agenda.
However, there is another purpose to this journey: to celebrate the fact that our son is growing up to be a man and also our daughters to be women. Becoming a teenager can be a daunting prospect (for children and parents alike) and often hides the obvious changes that are taking place for both parents and children. However, we want it to be something we can all celebrate. We also want to communicate the responsibilities that accompany this different stage of life, as well as certain aspects of its evolution. Therefore, these trips are also designed to have very intentional conversations about the lives of men and women. Many of these conversations are long gone, but the trip provides an environment to go one step further and reaffirm what has already been said. Since several of you have asked me how I had guided my son in these conversations on our journey, I thought to explain it here so that other people interested in some of these details can also know. . The theme of the trip revolved around this model of biblical masculinity: protect, provide and lead.
- We read 1 Peter 3: 1-7 which tells me how I am called by God to protect my wife and children from any physical evil.
- We then discussed how my son could participate in this activity at home.
- He could also protect his mother and sisters from the harm caused by killer insects.
- By locking doors at night when I’m out of town.
- We also read Proverbs 5 and discussed the need to protect ourselves from the adulterous woman who seeks every man to steal.
- This allowed for a fruitful discussion about sexual impurity and destruction caused by pornography that surrounds us as men and how to protect our hearts and minds from these things.
As men, we are called to meet the needs of our families. We were made to work (Genesis 1-2) and care for our families, providing the physical, emotional and spiritual support that each family member needs (1 Timothy 5: 8). For this reason, we discussed the ways my son could achieve this even though he does not have to work to support a family at this time. We’ve talked about how hard you have to work now at school, swimming competitions, lawn mowing, housework, and anything else in your life that helps you develop a work ethic that you can then take on at your job. he will use to, one day, support a wife and a family, God willing.
We have read and discussed many implications of our call as Christian husbands to love our wives as Christ loved the Church and gave himself up for her, according to Ephesians 5:22-33. One of the main ways Christ loved was through humble sacrifice. We talked about how my son could sacrifice his mother and sisters to develop this instinct to lead through humble service at home. In addition, we talked about when I asked him to take us on a family outing or when he could choose where we were going to eat while thinking of a place that would work best for the whole family. These are small ways my child can lead now (and teach my daughters to follow) and think about how their choices affect others.
Parents, I don’t think you should take a trip like we plan to take with each of our children, if you can afford it, that’s fine. In any case, I recommend that you have a lot of intention of not waiting until you have the kind of conversation that should take place well before the age of 13. Don’t be afraid of them. Don’t avoid them by imagining that they will be awkward conversations, I guarantee it will be too late if you wait for the last possible moment, our journey was a joy, very fruitful, and I am saddened that it is the only one.
And for parents with older children, what have made them fruitful in preparing their own children?
By: Brian Croft. © Practical Shepherding, Inc. Website: practicshepherding. com. Translated with permission. Source: How do you lead and prepare your 13-year-old for maturity?
Original: How do you lead and prepare your teen for adulthood?© Return to the Gospel. Website: voltemosaoevangelho. com All rights reserved Translation: Paulo Reiss Junior Comment: Filipe Castelo Branco.