Here is quote from Paul Tripp that is worth considerable thought:
“I confess that my problem isn’t just that I do bad things, but that I do bad things because I’d rather have what I want than what God has willed for me.”
For your older children this truth will help them understand what they do and why. This will help them move beyond being controlled by their own behavior and give them insight into their own hearts. For teenagers, grasping this truth will help free them from what it is that really drives them. This is an insight that will serve them for the rest of their lives!
This is an example of “gourmet truth”. Take great care in how you present it to your children.
This is just another application of Proverbs 4:23:
Above all else, guard your heart,
for it is the wellspring of life.