16 year old son making poor choices

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beeball

Guest
#1
16 year old son making poor choices
Our oldest son has followed the Lord since he was 4, attended a christian school K-8, then entered the public high school. Cliquey group of boys at the highschool really wouldn't accept my son into their group. He was liked by everyone at his christian school and is kind to all and very fun-loving--just not a star athlete by any means. Therefore, in highschool he became friends with those kids who pursued him (he isn't good at reaching out to new people). Those kids tend to be the ones with "iffy" character. We open our home to all our kids' friends and are friendly with every one of them--some have attended church and youth group with our son--though they never continue. This summer he has encountered legal trouble on 3 separate occasions--this led us to look at his facebook (which we were unaware he had an account). His facebook is full of slang (rap song) lyrics that are horrible. He seems to be trying to be so different from others as a way to stand out and finally gain acceptance into the popular crowd--even though they all like him and say he is the nicest guy they know; yet they don't include him in social outings--just talk with him at school in class. He is extremely bright and was just diagnosed with ADD last year. He is on holiday from his medication and will begin taking it again before school begins--he makes impulsive (poor) choices when not on meds. His last run-in with the law was due to the fact that he and a handful of boys have been stealing lawn gnomes all summer. His prior run-in was because he was with 6 boys who were drinking alcohol--the sheriff told me that he and one other boy were the only two who had not been drinking. We do know that he has never drank or used drugs. He seems pretty committed to not using; yet he is on a slippery slope with the type kids he is friends with. My question is, what type punishment would get the message across that he has messed up by stealing and keeping company with kids who drink. He views many christians as hypocrits, yet remains faithful to church and occasionally reads his bible.
 
May 21, 2009
3,955
25
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#2
Teenagers can drive you crazy. Mine son was when he was young. What helped me was when I read in the bible for I don't know how many hundreds of times we are not to worry. God takes care of the birds and the flowers and how much more he loves us. I finally got it. I am not to worry. I am to trust God. If I worry it's the same as saying I don't trust God. It's a sin to worry. If I worry it's me saying God is a lier. Do I believe Go and what he says or not. I'm a visual person. So it helped me when I pictured in my mind my son in my arms and I lifted him up to heaven and I said Jesu I'm giving you my son. You love him more than I can love him. He's yours. Lord take care of My son. I trust you. And I never worried again. God is my God and he will take care of my son. He's 28 now and God is still taking care of him. All the mess the kids go thr is because they are in this world full of evil. They will learn from their mistakes. All you do is your best and let God be God. I did all kinds of wrong things and now I live for the Lord. Give your son to God. God bless you and your family, Love
 
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FearlessJesusGurl

Guest
#3
Yeah I was like that too at one point...teens have to go through stuff sometimes to get to where they wanna be later...thats how I see it anyway...idk...
Ill be praying...
 
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beeball

Guest
#4
thank you loveschild and fearless jesus gurl! Your words have provided comfort and redirect me to our Lord and his perfect love for us. I like the visual picture of holding my son up to God--I know God loves him even more than my husband and I. I know he is feeling the pangs of growing up and trying to find his way; but, I do know he needs to punished for breaking the law. Thank you so much for your prayers--