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“Dear Mr. DeZurik,
I wanted to apologize to you. I opened an (account with a social networking site) without my parents’ permission and lied about my age. Then I asked you to be my friend. I was wrong to do this. I will be closing the account and not opening one again until I am old enough.
Sincerely,
(Child’s Name)”

I recently received the above note from a young man who is learning a hard lesson — how to be a man of integrity. He’s learning how to be godly even though it is difficult.

It was such a blessing for me to receive the note and apology from this young man in person. Most likely it was uncomfortable for him because he did not know what my reaction would be. Of course, I forgave him and encouraged him to become the man of God he is called to be.

I’m encouraged by having friends like his parents who, like my wife and I, are trying to raise godly children. It is not easy to admit when you’re wrong or to teach your child to take the difficult road (the “narrow path”), but God has called us to this kind of living. In the long run, taking the narrow road will reap rewards in your life, your child’s life, and society as a whole.

As children of the most high King, we must not only teach God’s ways, but also live His ways in order for people to understand the life that He offers.

We must live for our King and not for our own selfish, evil desires. The carnal must die, and God must increase in our lives.

For further study, read Matthew 7:13 – 23, 1 Peter 1:13–15 and Colossians 1:24–29.