Family Matters
Devotional Thoughts to Help You Love and Lead Your Kids
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Peer Acceptance If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. John 15:19 Everyone prefers to be liked. This desire to be liked by one’s peers becomes a powerful force as a child enters the pre—teen years. These are the years when most researchers say that a parent’s voice becomes less important (and peer voices become more important) when it comes to social decisions. Sadly, this shaping influence doesn’t end with adolescence. Plenty of us know adults who continue to struggle with peer acceptance. What can you do to help your child “adjust the volume” of those peer voices? Speak acceptance at home. While this may sound trite, it is far from it. Any child who knows that he or she is loved at home is less likely to be swayed by social pressures away from home. As parents we must continue to find the balance between correcting unacceptable behavior and communicating all—out acceptance of a child. Engage the arenas where peer influences surface. Clothing, cell phones, Facebook pages, and the full range of TV/Hollywood movies are all areas where peer influences show up. Recently our children were begging us to let them watch a certain TV program. It’s not that we disapproved, but we didn’t know enough about the content of the show to make a decision. When we dug a bit deeper we found out that this show is the non—stop topic of discussion on the bus to school each day. Our kids were feeling left out, and therefore unaccepted by their friends. After watching the show with our kids, we know enough about the characters to be informed. They tell us about the bus ride conversations, and we have the chance to help shape their perceptions of right and wrong behavior. Set your boundaries, and don’t feel the need to apologize. Without question, some parents will adopt different rules than you will. These differences easily become the social tension our kids experience. “Why can’t I watch R—rated movies like her?” “Why can’t I use the internet in my room like he does?” No amount of social pressure should force you to allow your kids to engage in activities that are outside of your comfort. You must be willing to endure your child’s wrath, but in the end, he or she will know that your rules are set out of love and care, regardless of what a friend might get to do. Dudley Callison
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About the Book
Parenting is a high calling, and with it comes a unique set of joys and plenty of challenges. God wants to strengthen parents to be the best parents they can be for His glory. Family Matters is a parent-focused devotional book centered on Luke 2:52, “and Jesus grew in wisdom, stature, and favor with God and men.” This book encourages parents on some challenging topics, including the following: • Wisdom–Materialism, media influences, dating, and maintaining a healthy perspective on the future. • Stature–Appearance, eating issues, and dealing with the pressure to succeed. • Favor with God–Faith questions, personal value, and deepening relationship with Christ. • Favor with Others–Serving one another, bullying, and family relationships. Each devotional includes a scripture focus, as well as a “Now What…” section at the end for personal reflection. The devotional thoughts included here can be a great encouragement parents as they love and lead their kids.
About the Author
Johnny Polk Commonly known as “the biggest kid at camp,” Johnny Polk serves as Director of T Bar M Camps in New Braunfels, Texas. Johnny has been leading Christ—centered adventure since 1987 and currently directs four camps and year—round programs serving more than 10,000 people a year. Johnny’s heart is big on sharing Christ's love and pointing kids and their families to Jesus. Johnny and his wife, Cheri, have two grown sons, Daniel and Kyle. Dudley Callison Dudley Callison has provided leadership development, staff training and pastoral care for T Bar M Camps since 2005. In addition, Dudley consults for non—profits in the area of strategic alignment and serves as Chief Operating Officer for Christian Associates International. A minister and licensed counselor, Dudley has a passion for helping parents love and lead their families. Dudley and his wife, Laura, along with their two daughters, Molly and Claire, live outside Denver, Colorado.