Gospel-Based Conversations to Have With Your PreteenSample

Day 3: Your Influence

Think of the most famous athletes, singers, authors, and even influencers on Instagram. They must have profoundly impacted you in some way growing up. Maybe you’re thinking of a basketball player who made you fall in love with the game, or a singer who wrote an impactful song during a difficult time.

We are all influenced by someone or something, for good or bad. As your preteen is learning to navigate the world, they may not be aware of the powerful influence they can have on others around them.

You know how easy it is to conform to the world, falling into people-pleasing or bullying. When their friends gossip about another kid in class or on the sports team, but they speak up on behalf of the other kid, that’s demonstrating their influence.

They may dismiss the way they responded in a situation as being different from everyone else, but you see it. You notice the light that is within them – Jesus – that is shining for others to see (Matthew 5:16). Remind them of what you see.

Before your preteen was born, God knew them. He set them apart from everyone else to live a godly life, different from the world (Jeremiah 1:5). When it gets hard to live for Jesus and not the world (because it will be at times), remember the moments you saw your preteen demonstrating godly behavior and encourage them, pointing out where God is at work.

Go Deeper With Your Preteen: Is it challenging to be a light for Jesus in your friendships? What areas do you feel your friends influenced you to do/say/think certain things?