Page 2 of 2How can Christian parents talk to their grown children who have rejected their faith? What common mistakes do they make?
Parents generally react poorly when their children leave the faith. They often have one of two opposite and equally harmful reactions. Either they stay in denial, and fail to address the issue at all, or they go on the offensive, delivering homespun sermons or clobbering their kids with biblical truth. Of course both are counterproductive.
Another common mistake is fighting "proxy wars." When the topic of faith gets too contentious, debate gets channeled to other arenas. Parents often end up arguing with their children about lifestyle issues, political views, or relationships. I'd encourage parents to avoid these arguments. These are bad hills to die on. If they want to see their children return to the faith, they should save their most impassioned pleas to urge their children to come back to Christ.
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