Target on the Back

In life, children often face numerous challenges—much like arrows flying toward a target. These arrows, such as peer pressure, identity struggles, societal expectations, and mental health battles, are inevitable. The “target,” in this analogy, is the child’s emotional and mental stability. Parents play a critical role in fortifying that target, ensuring it is robust and capable of withstanding life’s blows. However, when parents fail to create a healthy environment, they unintentionally weaken the target and even paint a larger bullseye on their child’s back, inviting struggles such as depression, insecurity, and emotional instability.

This article examines three key ways parents inadvertently expose their children to harm and provides biblical solutions to safeguard them.

1. Toxic Relationships

Toxic relationships between parents or guardians are marked by constant conflict, lack of respect, and emotional manipulation. Children who witness these dynamics absorb the dysfunction, leading to anxiety, a distorted view of love, and emotional fragility. A toxic environment becomes fertile ground for depression, as the child feels helpless and lacks a sense of safety or stability.

The Target Effect:

The constant exposure to fighting and negativity places undue stress on the child. This stress makes them an easy target for mental health struggles, as they grow up believing chaos is normal and feeling unworthy of peace.

Biblical Solution:

The Bible urges us to seek peace and live in harmony. Ephesians 4:31-32 says, “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” Parents must prioritize resolving conflicts in healthy ways, seeking counseling if needed, and modeling forgiveness and respect to build a secure environment.

2. Multiple Partner Lifestyle for Single Parents

When single parents engage in a lifestyle involving multiple romantic partners, it can confuse and destabilize the child. This inconsistency creates feelings of neglect, insecurity, and distrust, as the child struggles to understand who will stay and who will leave. Over time, this can lead to identity crises, relational struggles, and depression caused by a lack of steady parental support.

The Target Effect:

Children from such environments often grow up feeling like secondary priorities. This lack of consistency can make them vulnerable to attachment issues, trust problems, and a need for external validation, opening them up to harmful relationships or destructive coping mechanisms.

Biblical Solution:

The Bible emphasizes stability and purity in relationships. Proverbs 22:6 says, “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old, he will not depart from it.” Parents are called to set an example of stability, showing the child that their worth is not tied to fleeting relationships but rooted in God’s unwavering love. Prioritizing the child’s well-being over romantic pursuits demonstrates sacrificial love, as modeled by Christ.

3. Unresolved Breakups

Breakups that are unresolved or filled with bitterness have a ripple effect on children. When parents harbor resentment or fail to heal, their pain often spills over into parenting, causing emotional neglect, harshness, or an inability to be present. Children are left to navigate the emotional aftermath alone, often blaming themselves for the family’s struggles.

The Target Effect:

Unresolved breakups create confusion, feelings of abandonment, and a deep sense of unworthiness in children. This makes them susceptible to depression and self-doubt, as they internalize the unresolved pain of their parents.

Biblical Solution:

The Bible calls us to reconciliation and forgiveness. Colossians 3:13 says, “Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” Parents must seek healing through prayer, counseling, and forgiveness, ensuring their emotional health does not burden their children. By leaning on God’s grace, parents can break the cycle of pain and model resilience for their children.

Conclusion

Parents hold the power to either strengthen or weaken the target on their child’s back. Toxic relationships, a multiple-partner lifestyle, and unresolved breakups paint a target that is nearly impossible for a child to escape unscathed. However, by fostering healthy relationships, providing stability, and seeking emotional healing, parents can shield their children from the arrows of depression and insecurity.

As Psalm 127:3 reminds us, “Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him.” By cherishing this gift and applying biblical principles, parents can ensure that their children are emotionally stable, spiritually grounded, and equipped to navigate life’s challenges with confidence and faith

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Corpse in the Backyard

Introduction: Everyone has a backyard ,the place where they bury the painful, shameful, or terrifying parts of their past. The corpse in the backyard is symbolic of those unresolved experiences: betrayal, poverty, rejection, fear. Though buried, they still rot and release a stench that seeps into every part of a person’s life. And the tragedy? While you are busy maintaining the backyard checking if the corpse is still hidden, covering the smell, reinforcing the fence you neglect the front yard: the now, the next, the new. 1. The Corpse of Betrayal You were loyal. You were honest. But they weren’t. Now every new relationship is judged by the standard of the pain you buried. You became a detective instead of a lover. Suspicion replaced vulnerability. And even when good love shows up, you chase it away because you’re too busy guarding your backyard. “ Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing!” Isaiah 43:18-19 2. The Corpse of Poverty You k...
Read more

I Married My Best Friend

Introduction Best friendships are built on smiles, tears, and shared moments that weave bonds of trust, love, and commitment. These bonds, when nurtured, become the foundation for unshakable relationships. The emotional depth created through shared joys and challenges lays a strong groundwork for love to flourish. As the quote by C.S. Lewis beautifully states, “Friendship is born at the moment when one person says to another, ‘What! You too? I thought I was the only one.’” This kind of connection fosters understanding, empathy, and mutual respect, all of which are essential for a lasting marriage. The Bible underscores this principle in Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 (NIV): “Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.” A marriage founded on true friendship mirrors this wisdom, where two individuals become each other’s support system through life’s hig...
Read more

The Lost Truth About Love

  In the fast-paced, material-driven world we live in today, love has been misinterpreted and overshadowed by societal standards. Often, people equate love with provision, leadership, or vision—values that, while significant, do not define love in its true, Biblical sense. The Body of Christ needs to unplug from these societal expectations and return to the foundation of love as ordained by God. The Biblical Foundation of Love Ephesians 5:25 commands, “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.” This verse serves as a profound reminder that love is not merely about meeting physical needs or fulfilling societal roles but about self-sacrifice. The model of Christ’s love for the church is one of unwavering commitment, grace, and selflessness. Provision, leadership, and vision are outcomes of a love centered in Christ, not the seeds of it. Psalm 37:23 states, “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and He delights in his way.” W...
Read more