Changed by the Word

The Word Works

It is no doubt that the teenage years, 
the beginning of puberty, brings 
about a host of brain and behavioral 
change. 
Each male teenager is different and 
goes through these changes differently. 
Her teenage boy is no exception. 
He had always been a handful though 
he appears quiet to most people. 
She relates so well as she was like 
that at that age too.
He once picked a gala on the head of 
the seller through the window of a 
commercial bus. 
The mum was so shocked at the 
swiftness at which he picked the snack.
 He was just 3 years old at the time 
When he was 8 years old she took him 
and his brother shopping for toys. 
She bought what she could afford. 
She was terrified when she found a 
toy in his pocket after they got home. 
How he passed the scanner at the 
door still shocked her till today. 
She imagined the humiliation of 
being caught shoplifting. 
They could have been arrested!
He got his first android phone at 
age 10. 
It was a low grade android phone. 
Something to play games and watch 
children videos. 
It thrilled him so much. 
He was able to download games and 
cartoon videos as much as he wanted. 
No more boredom when there was 
no electricity supply. 
He just need to charge phone battery 
full ahead of power outage
He clocked 13 and the low-grade 
android phone no longer appeared 
thrilling. 
He requested for a higher grade android 
phone in order to explore more. 
She promised to upgrade him with one 
of the newer version android phone 
if he performed well in his studies. 
He had been dwindling in his grades in 
school. 
He showed more interest in playing 
with phone than studying for better 
grades.
At some point going to church was also
 not interesting to him. 
It is all about phone and having fun of 
his life. 
The first time she dared ask him to read 
his bible in place of playing games on 
his phone he cried bitterly like reading 
the bible was a punishment.
She had to sit him down and give a well 
deserved counselling on what the bible 
is and how it is as important to read the 
bible daily as it is to play games daily. 
He agreed to read at least a chapter of 
the bible a day before playing with his 
phone. 
He did that for a while then stopped 
without her noticing
To celebrate his 13th birthday and 
because he made good his promise by 
getting better grades she got him an 
upgraded android phone. 
The phone also serve as his source of 
internet for doing his school assignments 
Events went from bad to worse from 
that moment onwards. 
Without her knowledge he opened a 
facebook account with an unknown name. 
She got a facebook request to accept 
someone naming her as his mother. 
While she was still wondering who the 
person could be she saw a message in 
her inbox. 
It was from her son with a strange name. 
He dropped messages introducing himself 
with his real name and that he was 
waiting for her to accept his request. 
She was at work when she got the request. 
A million questions ran through her mind. 
How did he open a Facebook account? 
She believed he would not understand it. 
Where did he get data when she was 
not the one that gave him wifi connections?
Immediately she got home she asked 
the pertinent questions running through 
her mind. He gave her answers that 
satisfied her for the moment. 
She felt the need to monitor him more 
than before. 
From the close monitoring she noticed 
something she had not seen before; 
he was always hard
She queried him on why he was so 
hard as such. 
He said it is nothing. 
She continued to watch him closely. 
She caught him chatting with a girl 
on Facebook messenger. 
Another time he was caught fiddling 
with his penis. 
Then she realized it is likely he had
started watching pornographic videos.
At this point she realised she had to 
intervene before things get worse. 
She requested to have his phone for 
a look through. 
She went through the applications on 
the phone one after the other. 
One of the browser popped up nude 
videos as she opened it. 
This confirmed what she had already 
suspected about him watching 
pornography. 
He said he did not know how to stop 
the notification from popping up. 
She uninstalled the offensive browser 
without any argument 
She prayed on the matter for guidance 
on what to do. 
As led by the Holy Spirit she started a 
daily bible reading plan with him. 
One plan on his phone and the same 
plan on her phone. 
She does not allow him have the phone 
again except to do his school 
assignments and to tick off the chapters 
he had read on the bible plan 
(he read on his hard copy bible )
From the moment he started reading 
his bible daily she noticed a turnaround 
in him. 
No more masturbation or signs of 
watching pornography. 
He also became more responsible and 
respectful. 
He offered to assist her do some chores
 in the house. 
He also started expressing his care 
towards her when she is burdened or 
stressed over anything.

The Word of God changed him. 

Abike, 2021

PS: We often make the mistake of thinking
our children are too young to understand
the scriptures
But we watch them gain academic 
knowledge and master the use of 
technology effortlessly
We push the day of their salvation but
pushing it only exposes them to the 
world and its systems
Introduce your children to the Holy
Spirit today
Introduce your children to the word
of God
The Word works
The Word transforms
The Word turns our realities around