I have learned so much from working on our book Rescue and from the Lifeguards, the college students who contributed to the project.  They are influencers and they are full to overflowing with integrity!  My year of communicating with them was one of the single most faith building experiences of my life!

A theme that has reoccurred many times in my discussions with them is that they wish the adults and parents in their lives would have “set the bar higher.”  Set the bar higher?  Wait a minute; is this the same group of kids asking for a higher standard?  Are they saying that adults spend lots of time and money trying to discern ways to remove consequences for sinful, poor behavior because this generation simply has no integrity?

It’s a lie. Don’t buy it.  Our children, this generation, have integrity and what it takes to achieve greatness!  Can I get an Amen?!

Possession of firm principles, possessing and steadfastly adhering to high moral principles–yes, they can! Yes, they can!

One of the young men in the college group said, “If you set the bar low, we will crawl under it.  But if you set it high, we will do everything we can to prove you right.”

How do we do that as parents and mentors?  How do we set the bar high and expect integrity from them?  I’m glad you asked! 🙂

• Do not speak negative words over them.

Proverbs 18:21 tells us, “The tongue has the power of life and death and those who love it will eat its fruit.”  You declare over those sweet babies and teens the character traits that you want to see in them.  Call them honest, trustworthy, full of integrity, and lovers of the King.

• Expect greatness from them.

Our children will live up to our expectations of them.  The Word tells us to train up our children in the way they should go and when they are old they won’t depart from us.  Some of us, and some of them, may take a detour, but in the end…He wins.  Expect them to seek Him.  Expect them to make an impact…today!  Find those God given strengthens in them and call them out!  They can make Kingdom impact now.

• Help them build firm principles.

What are the values that you base your family on?  In our family, we want to passionately seek Christ.  We strive to work hard and be intentional about our callings.  We feel great responsibility serve people and to love one another deeply.  What about your family?  Do you communicate that to your kids on a daily basis?  They need to understand the principles that you stake your lives on.

We all still have bad days when we demonstrate anything but integrity.  But are we struggling well?  Are we going for it?  Do not believe the lies of this culture and lower your expectations and hopes for your teens.  They have the power of Almighty God in them and I am quite sure He exudes integrity!  So can they!

My love,