Lessons of sacrifice vs. foundations of self-indulgence

877712_crown_of_thornsI’ve seen something happen in literally hundreds of families. Parents have all the best intentions for their children. They want to raise them well and give them a great future.

But kids are hard to please. They whine, cry and complain–and above all that makes good parents feel guilty. So what do we do? We give them what they want.

By the time they’re teenagers, all they know is getting what they want from their parents. They’re experts at entertaining themselves and doing whatever it takes to be happy. They don’t get it all, of course, but they sure do get plenty of it. Most of their life so far has been centered around getting what they want. And they obviously don’t know much about sacrifice–suffering for the sake of others.

I’m curious for your feedback. Have you seen this same trend? How does this affect your youth ministry?



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One Response to “Lessons of sacrifice vs. foundations of self-indulgence”

  • Christa Dame says:

    There was a story on K-love stating that most parents surveyed think teenagers are selfish. However, the survey also found that the economic situation is getting teens attention and they are becoming more aware of the needs of others.

    I think participating in a 30 hr famine with World Vision is a great way to gets students to be aware of the needs of others. A national famine is coming up at the end of April. http://www.30hourfamine.org/portal/pages/leader/index.html

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