Here are four ways that we might unknowingly push our children away from God.

Duplicity
There may be no greater way that parents push their children away from God than by professing Christ but not living it. I am reminded of a time when a child was told to answer the phone and tell the person that mom was not there. What does this tell the child? It seems to give them permission to lie, and children learn early on that lying is okay in some circumstances. When parents behave one way at church and then live totally different lives at home, children can see through that hypocrisy or duplicity a mile away. This drives them away from “religion” but also away from God.


Pushing Them Toward God
It’s ironic that when we push our children toward God and into a relationship with Him, we can push them away from Him. Jesus never forced Himself on anyone but only said, “Follow Me” (Matthew 16:24), not “You had better follow Me.” When parents are trying to put pressure on their children to be saved, they might cause a false conversion by their caving into their pressure just so the parents will get off their backs, or they might say they’re saved just to please their parents. But parents make a poor imitation of the Holy Spirit and can do more harm than good when they try to force their children into being saved. Let the Spirit of God convict them of their sins. It’s not a parent’s job to save them but only to point them to Christ.

The Hand Off
When parents abdicate or give up their role as their children’s primary spiritual teacher and hand off all that responsibility to a Sunday school teacher or a youth leader, they are giving up the greatest influence their children will ever have, which is his or her parents. What happens is that the Sunday school teacher’s or youth leader’s opinions are held in greater esteem than the parents’ opinions in spiritual or biblical matters.


Unfair Comparisons
When parents try to compare their own child with other children, the child might feel inadequate in the eyes of his parents. If parents say, “Look how good Jacob is at church, and see how well he behaves,” then they are sending their child the message that he is to be more like Jacob and not more like God. Also, when he sees the parents brag on another child and not him, then he’ll feel like a failure, which might even make them give up on trying since “when they measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding” (2 Corinthians 10:12).


Conclusion
A great way that I was told to help children stay in the faith or come to Christ and be saved is to remind them of the great things God has done in the past so they can trust God with their future. The Old Testament command for parents remains the same today, as parents and grandparents are told, “You shall teach them to your children, talking of them when you are sitting in your house, and when you are walking by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates, that your days and the days of your children may be multiplied in the land that the LORD swore to your fathers to give them, as long as the heavens are above the earth” (Deuteronomy 11:19-21).

May God richly bless you,

Pastor Jack Wellman

https://faithinthenews.com/4-ways-parents-unknowingly-push-their-kids-away-from-god/

Unfair comparison is enough to make some one go thief!

ChappyChase:
Unfair comparison is enough to make some one go thief!

True. lalasticlala

Train up your child in the way he should go.

Train up your child in the way he should go.

Amen

2,3,4 was THE reason I stopped going to church especially when they had no power over me to manipulate me into doing their bidding e.g threat of not paying school fees or pocket money

Parents always seem to forget that one fateful day there will come in a child's LIFE when they will no longer have the powers to force their kids and the kids will do the direct opposite

For instance I have a neighbor who always threatens to curse his kids if they don't go to church and I was telling the woman that this one you are always threatening this boy,one day your threats will no longer carry weight or power.not knowing I was talking TO soon.by the time this boy clocked 17 she was still at it with her threats,THE boy told HER to go ahead shebi eyin Loma pe ni iya omo iranu.the day the boy's eye opened he was NO longer scared OF his mom's scare tactics

The father said he will no longer pay his school fees or GIVE him money.he told the man to hold HIS money that he will go and join Yahoo if he doesn't give him

Wen children grows they choose thier path.... Even a child you train in the church might grow up to become a terrorist..... Just pray always that God touches thier conscience

Hmmmmm

lordraiden:
Wen children grows they choose thier path.... Even a child you train in the church might grow up to become a terrorist..... Just pray always that God touches thier conscience

What's your point?

So parents shouldn't bother doing anything; just pray?

We Africans though.

I can relate

- giving them phones at an early age

etrange:


What's your point?

So parents shouldn't bother doing anything; just pray?

We Africans though.

no .just guide or encourage.forcing always achieves the direct opposite.I'm a living witness.btw Christianity is a personal relationship.the same way it is impossible to force 2 people to be friends is the same way you cannot force worship.for instance I can introduce Mr Keswick as my friend to you but it is your prerogative to decide whether or not you want to be friends with him even if I were your mother.the friendship happens naturally when it's not forced.but when I force him on you it becomes more of a fake friendship.that's the same thing with God

etrange:


What's your point?

So parents shouldn't bother doing anything; just pray?

We Africans though.

that's your own opinion man and understanding man ... Leave mine alone

SAMBARRY:
no .just guide or encourage.forcing always achieves the direct opposite.I'm a living witness.btw Christianity is a personal relationship.the same way it is impossible to force 2 people to be friends is the same way you cannot force worship.for instance I can introduce Mr Keswick as my friend to you but it is your prerogative to decide whether or not you want to be friends with him even if I were your mother.the friendship happens naturally when it's not forced.but when I force him on you it becomes more of a fake friendship.that's the same thing with God

thank you bro

Being toxic and naccisissts...i despise helicopter parents

lordraiden:
Wen children grows they choose thier path.... Even a child you train in the church might grow up to become a terrorist..... Just pray always that God touches thier conscience

exactly my point.all kids don't end up the same way and that's the danger of comparison.even if they grew up in the same home under same parents

Btw go and check out many American and even Nigerian rappers we have today with tatoos all over their body,they were once choir members.I remember flavor nabiniya abi what does he call himself? Even though he's not a rapper I remember in one of his interviews his mom dorced him to be in the choir,meanwhile the child knew what he will do in his mind.no be him dey distribute the thing to beauty queens and sing secular music?

IForgotMyLoginD:
My dad is #2. And cos of that I washed my hands off anything church or God! Until I found God on my own (away from church and all).

The best way to make a child love God is to show that loving God is sweet. By being a reflection of Christ on earth who preached nothing but love. And showed it. Jesus didn’t force anybody to do anything. All was done willingly. Notice how crowds loved to follow Jesus? When we pressure kids or teenagers concerning the things of Christ, we push them further from Him.

gbam.Exactly.I enjoy relationship with God myself and personally than through African parents.African parents present God to you in a poor and unappealing light.if for instance I am your mom and I say I'm going to church but it will be nice if you come with me.however if you come and you didn't feel fulfilled or connect to God ,you can try another church of your choice or watch sermons on tv.meanwhile ensure that you're not going to church because you want to please or impress me.make up your mind personally.you can think through it.trust me if that child no follow you go.church or at least go to another church call me bascard.at least that's a more better way of presenting God to man.that's why I love the Jehovah's witness.they aren't pushy or aggressive.compare it to when I say you must go to church or no money for you.even if you go to.Church,you will feel bored and see it as a means to achieving what you want not to WORSHIP God.True worship should come from the heart not because you don't want to be punished

That number 2, I think made me much more uninterested and more of an atheist. Uncountable times, mumcy flog shege comot my eyes for church matter.

lordraiden:

that's your own opinion man and understanding man ... Leave mine alone

You obviously cannot engage in a logical discussion.

See Sambarry's response to the same question I asked you. Compare it with yours above and see how intellectually deprived yours is. You simply were not able to communicate.

SAMBARRY:

no .just guide or encourage.forcing always achieves the direct opposite.I'm a living witness.btw Christianity is a personal relationship.the same way it is impossible to force 2 people to be friends is the same way you cannot force worship.for instance I can introduce Mr Keswick as my friend to you but it is your prerogative to decide whether or not you want to be friends with him even if I were your mother.the friendship happens naturally when it's not forced.but when I force him on you it becomes more of a fake friendship.that's the same thing with God

What you're saying in essence is that parents should do the little they could why they pray to God to do the rest? Now, that's more encouraging than the guy above who made it sound like the parents have no role than to sit and pray.

Indoctrinating and brainwashing the children into religion has nothing to do with God. If not, man cannot draw his fellow man or kids away from an Almighty God.

SAMBARRY:
gbam.Exactly.I enjoy relationship with God myself and personally than through African parents.African parents present God to you in a poor and unappealing light.if for instance I am your mom and I say I'm going to church but it will be nice if you come with me.however if you come and you didn't feel fulfilled or connect to God ,you can try another church of your choice or watch sermons on tv.meanwhile ensure that you're not going to church because you want to please or impress me.make up your mind personally.you can think through it.trust me if that child no follow you go.church or at least go to another church call me bascard.at least that's a more better way of presenting God to man.that's why I love the Jehovah's witness.they aren't pushy or aggressive.compare it to when I say you must go to church or no money for you.even if you go to.Church,you will feel bored and see it as a means to achieving what you want not to WORSHIP God.True worship should come from the heart not because you don't want to be punished

who told u d Jehovah witness don't force their kids
no freedom of anything in that their hall o
you must follow the rule dat it

etrange:


You obviously cannot engage in a logical discussion.

See Sambarry's response to the same question I asked you. Compare it with yours above and see how intellectually deprived yours is. You simply were not able to communicate.



What you're saying in essence is that parents should do the little they could why they pray to God to do the rest? Now, that's more encouraging than the guy above who made it sound like the parents have no role than to sit and pray.

am not in the mode to start typing long words just to make sm1 understand

Beautiful thread...
God bless the Op for this points, God also bless those that have commented,
Many of us thought following Jesus was torture because of the upbringing, we did things under compulsion but yet the creator in his mercies touched us himself and showed us the true Religion..

Out parents made mistakes but what matters most is that we shouldn't make the same mistakes not only to our children but to everyone around us.

Live the beautiful life of Christ.
Happy Sunday

comparison is the worst of it

Getting whipped by my dad whenever I skipped church made grow away from church. I hate it

Great thread there!
Life is a choice of curse, we can only guide our kids not force and it's pretty sad even in this age most parents still do. Kids have choices guide them to exploit it, I bet u that's the best way to bring out the best in them

Parents should, as a matter of duty, nudge, and when necessary, push their children away, far away from the Judeo-Christian Bullshyts.
Carrying an imaginary father in one's head is an unnecessary yoke that distorts positive thinking , kills the gift of healthy skepticism, impedes the intellectual development and scientific curiosity.

Anyone, any child whose worldviews in this modern era, this age of information, are anchored in stone age superstitions that fall beyond the laws of mathematics is to be considered a maladjusted person or child. Same as for nations.

Nigeria is my shining example.

otabuko:
That number 2, I think made me much more uninterested and more of an atheist. Uncountable times, mumcy flog shege comot my eyes for church matter.

The best and the only way is to live by example, and face your business, if you are successful, most children especially in a Christian line, they just assume it's because you are a Christian, by the time they know better, they are already hooked.

plaetton:
Parents should, as a matter of duty, nudge, and when necessary, push their children away, far away from the Judeo-Christian Bullshyts.
Carrying an imaginary father in one's head is an unnecessary yoke that distorts positive thinking , kills the gift of healthy skepticism, impedes the intellectual development and scientific curiosity.

Anyone, any child whose worldviews in this modern era, this age of information, are anchored in stone age superstitions that fall beyond the laws of mathematics is to be considered a maladjusted person or child. Same as for nations.

Nigeria is my shining example.

China, Russia, USA has more number of Christians than Nigeria, they are my example.

All you said is bullsh*t, there are several intellectuals who have been religious, in fact the number of intellectuals who have been atheists pale in comparison to the number of intellectuals who have been religious so what the hell are you talking about.

Take your bitterness elsewhere pls.

The comparism own Na wa. Momsi deserve gold medal for that one. Look at your friend she has done this ..............