Ages 13 to 15 are an important time to help your teenager process through what will define him/her or give them value, which is why we created the Identity step on the Family Faith Path. The purpose is to guide your child to find and follow Jesus by helping him/her understand what it means to find identity in Christ (as opposed to popularity, looks, accomplishments, dating status, sexuality, and other worldly things) and to live for an audience of One.  

So many teenage issues—pressures, angst, depression, disappointments, and even bad choices—stem from an identity based on either what they have, what they do, or how they feel, which can be greatly avoided by an identity grounded in the Gospel. As you take the time to have ongoing conversations with your teen about their worth and purpose, remember that you must first model that your own identity, joy, and satisfaction are rooted in what God has said. This will, in turn, guard them against the lies of the world and the lure of hollow acceptance.