The Weights Are Real & So Are The Choices.
Robin "Life is full of choices!" That was the opener to the long speech I received from my grade school principal. I was a seventh grader sitting in his office for the third time in a week. In the natural what he could see was a 5''8' ninety-eight pound angry child. But, what he did not see was the heavy weight (yoke) that I was carrying.
Sometimes people refer to as a chip.
You have heard the saying; "they have a chip on their shoulder." The second part of that is... "and they are just looking for someone to knock it off."
Is it possible that the undeveloped adolescent mind makes poor choices to act out in an effort to get someone to notice the heaviness and the need for it to be knocked off or taken off? What if kids were given some tools to learn to carry it or share it, so they at least have a chance to make better choices on the path to growing up?
Are most "chips" develop on a person because of low-self-esteem/ low self-worth? At the very root can this be be fear? Fear of harm? Fear of failure? Fear of never being able to change a situation? All of the above +?
Is it possible that "chips" start out as fear and fear takes on many deformities in a young person to distort, diminish, or even inflate their identity? Is it possible that fear can turn into anger in some personality types and depression in others? Sounds like the ancient tactics of the devil to me! Is fear in the lives of God's people the only effective weapon the enemy owns?
I believe that often it is the undetected, unchecked, uncast fear bottled up inside of a child that gives way to anger and/or depression and can produce a "chip on the shoulder." Poor choices will follow!
The devil will use fear on a child to make them act out in self sabotage behavior. They will make poor choices and their behavior will be so annoying, disruptive or even repulsive that many adults will be tempted to throw in the towel and give up on the child. Even worse many time tired adults will add to the weight on the child by labeling them and speaking over them curses with an untamed and untrained tongue.
(James 3:5-6)
How can we recognize and properly address fear in children? The medical world has a saying; "early dedication can save lives."
A spirit of fear is NOT from the LORD. The passage found in 2 Timothy 1:7 makes this very clear:
For God gave us not a spirit of fearfulness; but of power and love and discipline.
Kids need to know this at a very early age!
Let us be about the business of recognizing fear in people of all ages and especially children and teach them about the One who offers them HOPE over HOSTEL, ANSWERS over ANXIETY AND FREEDOM over FEAR.
At after-school Good News Club children learn about Jesus the One who helps us cast all fear, anxiety, anger and worry upon Him because He cares for us. (1 Peter 5:7-14) Children learn and memorize Bible verses that equips them to stand strong, avoid pitfalls, arms them to fight the lies of the enemy and gives them Real and Lasting HOPE!
My junior high principal was right about one thing that day.... Life is full of choices.
When a child is equipped with the proper tools to deal with fear and the freedom to move toward overcoming fear, they will have the confidence to ask for help in bearing the weight that is too massive or heavy for them to carry alone.
Jesus helps us in amazing ways to make the loads and weights lighter and when this happens, it will be easier to make some better choices in life.
HELP SOMEONE TODAY BY LOVING THEM ENOUGH TO LISTEN TO THEM, SEE THEM THE WAY GOD SEES THEM AND OFFER THEM HOPE!
HOPE is greater than FEAR!
He
Offers
Peace
Eternal.
Blessings,
Robin
