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A friend and I once invited a homeless man to join us for lunch.

We learned this young man had been homeless for four years. Raised by a Christian mother and atheist father, he admitted he resented his mother for forcing him to go to church and that he didn’t believe in God.

I’ve had my amends to make with my sons for lacking proper parenting skills. One proverb says if we raise our children in the way they should go, it will stick with them for a lifetime. We should raise our children with an awareness of God’s presence in our lives. Doing this also means we must understand and guide them according to their personality types. We should develop techniques for discipline and encouragement that meet each child’s temperament. I didn’t have the skills and knowledge I have now when my boys were young. Like many parents, I made mistakes that resulted in strained relationships with two of my sons.

How can we parents mend broken relationships with adult prodigal children to help them heal, trust, and turn to Jesus?

First, we must forgive them. They are struggling to find their way in the world and need guidance, not scorn.

Second, we must humble ourselves, admit our shortcomings, and ask for forgiveness. We must show sincere recognition that we failed them on some level, along with a genuine desire to respect them as fellow human beings in need of a Savior.

My experience with making amends and resolution has been life-changing. This process should be done with prayer and guidance from a wise counselor. When we prayerfully admit our wrongs and open the door for an honest conversation with our adult children, God’s blessings will flow, and we can begin the reconciliation process. To be successful, we must clean up our side of the street—not point out their sin but focus on our own—with genuine repentance.

It’s never too late to mend a broken relationship with an adult child.  

(Photo courtesy of pixabay.)

(For more devotions, visit Christian Devotions.)