Destroying Never Land

            Awhile back I read Alex and Brett Harris’ book “Do Hard Things”. It was inspiring to hear their stories of doing cool things at such a young age. They also talked about others doing amazing things at an early age (hundreds of years ago, a dude captained a ship at 12. What was I doing at 12?).

            It also touched a topic that really ticks me off.

            In today’s day and age, there is this… thing called a “teenager”. Physically, it is close to or maybe exactly like an adult. Mentally? Basically an adult. Capabilities? Same deal. Responsibilities?

            Ha.

            Unfortunately, the phenomenon of the teenager started in the early 1900s.  Now it has evolved into something that wants to be able to do adult things. Think adult things. Be an adult.

            But have no adult responsibilities.

            So these creatures run rampant in our culture unchecked. They use the label “teenager” to get away with being lazy, irresponsible, and downright childish. Adults look at us (yes, I would be a “teenager” unfortunately) with disdain because we are young and foolish. They don’t respect us because we have destroyed our own credibility.

Hold Up a Minute

            But what is reality? I’ll tell you reality. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 13:11:

            “When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me.” (NIV)

            Did anyone catch the “when I became a teenager, I did adult things but I was still able to act like a child” right in the middle of the verse?

            You didn’t? Me neither.

            Ladies and gentlemen, to God you are either a child or an adult. Woman or girl. Man or boy. He doesn’t let us off the hook because we are in that “middle” stage our culture has created for us to wallow in until we decide we want to grow up.

            So gut check time for me and you. Are we adults? Or are we still children? If we aren’t adults, what’s holding us back?

Destroying Never Land

            My vision one day is to see Christian youth living differently than all the others. People look at us and say, “Those kids are 13, 14, 15… but they don’t act their age. They act like adults.”  When we speak or act, people notice because we are different. We embrace our manhood or womanhood. We gratefully accept the challenges and responsibilities that should come with age.

            In 1 Timothy 4:12, Paul writes:

            “Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.” (NIV)

            Paul is telling Timothy to not allow his age to be an excuse. He encourages this young man to set the standard with how he acts and speaks. He’s like “you’re young. So what? Let’s do this thing.”

            So this is a challenge to whoever is reading this. Are you embracing the future God has for you? Or are you just hanging back, waiting until the culture reluctantly tells you that you have to leave the easy life of a child? Step up, man up. Let’s do this thing.