A Practical, Positive, Spiritual Way to Restore the Parent-Teen Relationship

"Help! My teenager's driving me nuts! It's the "attitude". Poor, rotten, bad, lousy, snotty, lazy, self-centered, sneaky, ungrateful.... the list goes on and on. None of it's acceptable. Nothing changes it."

Maybe you've been there. Maybe you know parents who are there. Me? I'm stuck in the middle of it, looking for a solution. I'm at my wit's end. Every time we resolve one problem, a new one comes up. I'm more than worn for the wear, I'm sick of it. I found that I was all too often on the verbal attack with my teen.

After a slew of problems, and a slew of possible solutions, I was desperate. Nothing was working; not the books, not the punishments, not the rewards, not the counseling, not other parents. Where else could I turn?

Well, OK, turn to prayer. But I had already prayed on this. I had prayed for patience. I had prayed for the problems to be fixed. Nothing was happening. I still had this problem, and it was consuming my life.

I had gotten to a point where my prayers were more like throwing up my hands to God and yelling angrily, "WHAT? What am I supposed to do?" It was more of a childish challenge than a prayer, I know, but it was answered.

I'm not sure if I'm going to tell this in the most accurate fashion, but since it's my story, I'll tell it the way I perceived it. For those who don't believe in the power of prayer, or God in any sense; read on, because this will make sense to non-believers as well.

Early one Sunday morning, I lied in bed thinking, "I'm not going to church. I don't get anything out of it anyway." So I stayed in bed, turned on the television, and channel-surfed. Dr. Frederick Price on- I left it there, just in case he had a message for me.

Dr. Price was giving a sermon on Proverbs 18:21 "Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and they who indulge in it shall eat the fruit of it [for death or life]." (Amplified Bible)

Death and life? Do they mean spiritual death and life?

Well, certainly words hurt. Words encourage, too. Words convey attitude. Isn't that the crux of the problem here- my teen's attitude? How about my attitude? I'm so worn-out. I'm sick of it. I can't take it anymore.