A Letter to My Generation: Please Grow Up

We are what our parents call "the future." We are young, vibrant, strong, courageous and full of hope. We have been raised with the vision of building the Kingdom, challenging the culture, and standing on the shoulders of our parents--a new generation poised to engulf the pagan culture.

That is, if we would grow up.

There is a trend among us right now of sitting on the fence.

We want to be adults, but we like being teenagers, too. We want adult privileges, but without adult responsibilities.

Choosing to Walk with the Wise 
There is a particular group of young men I have witnessed multiple times do something that's very interesting and encouraging to me. Instead of sitting with their peers at social events, they gather around their elders and listen intently, even sometimes asking questions. My respect for these young men has increased because of their wise character in choosing wisdom. 

This is the sort of character we should be striving for! Sitting at the feet of those who have walked before us in everything.

"We need to change our idea of the “teen years.” We are raising children into adults. Those in between years are the most potent for developing skills, learning, training, preparing and practicing for adult life. These are not years to be frittered away. These are the years where we challenge them and they rise to the challenge of womanhood and manhood, the years of their best strength and courage, where vision is best cast. Youth is where character is grown and practiced,  responsibility takes root, and self-control must reign." 'Why We Should Encourage our Kids to Marry Younger

That's not to say hanging out with peers is wrong, because it's not necessarily wrong! But we can easily slip into foolishness if we don't receive and heed wise counsel -because we are all foolish in our youth. Proverbs repeatedly reminds us of this.

 "He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm." Proverbs 13:20

Do Hard Things
You've heard it before: "Life's tough; get a helmet!" We weren't called to a life of luxury. We don't have to have giant houses, name-brand clothes, every gadget available, constant parties, etc. This is what the culture defines as a successful life-but God calls us all to a season of life, and uses us in each of them. If Paul could rejoice in a rotting prison cell amid beatings and still be assured God was using him, by golly we can find contentment in doing the hard things in life! We have no idea what "hard" truly is.

 God gives us many joys (feasting,  marriage, and fellowship, to name a few.) We were created to do hard things. We have a duty to our Creator. It involves glorifying Him, and enjoying Him forever. How are we to glorify him? Read God's letter to us each day, and He will show you.

"And aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands..." 1 Thessalonians 4:11

"And now, O Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you but to fear the Lord, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul." Deuteronomy 10:12

The Battle of the Mind

"Guard your heart with all diligence....for out of it spring the issues of life." Proverbs 4:23

Our mind is possibly one of the most supernatural and phenomenal things God has created. To this day, we still can't comprehend our own minds. God is that incredible. But because we are not always aware of how powerful our minds are, we are also not aware of the damage we can unconsciously do to ourselves.

"Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled. Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us." Titus 2:6-8

The biggest mind battle we face as young adults, is that of resisting the pull of the 'average' teen life. Culture encourages us to stay young as long as possible, God's Word directs us to grow in maturity and wisdom (Proverbs 2:6). Culture says we should 'do something big' with our lives; Scripture says we are not live for our own glory (1 Cor. 15:58).

"For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age..."Titus 2 :11-12

Amid my doubts and fickle emotions, the constant temptations I face, and the downs my family and I have gone through, I have witnessed one thing to be true...God's kingdom is worth fighting for. And when I give up everything to God, even if I'm not sure what the future holds, if I admit that my heart cannot decide for itself what God's plans are, then He is faithful to lead and to give me peace.

"Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, "Be holy, for I am holy." 1 Peter 1:13-16

By faith...we shall soon see the hand of God in the culture.