Hello everyone,
I thought I'd start out posting these videoes by the Harris twins. I will admit that most of my thoughts have spawned from their book Do Hard Things and Start Here (I would HIGHLY recommend every teen to read them) , as well as their website (check it out at therebelution.com) ; so I thought I would post their video mini series for you all to watch. I will post the first one this evening, and some questions and comments for you all to respond to and think about.
Please take the time to watch each one as they are posted; they are short, ans are much more productive then any youtube video you might decide to watch during that time!
Did you catch the part where he said that the word teenager was not in print in the U.S. until 1941 in a Reader's Digest article? We have defined the young adult - the teen- since then, as a time frame where we are free to do as we please, instead of preparing for later on in life for greater things. We have so much potential with our energy, large amounts of free time, and less responsibilty then an adult, and yet we have lowered ourselves to less then we were meant to be. We have shackles of fear -of failure or of man- of laziness, so many things, that have made us think we cannot possibly reach forth and do great things for God in our teen years. So my questions to you are:
What lies do you believe that teens are being decieved by that hold them back from their greatest potential?
How do you think we can defeat those lies; inwardly and outwardly?
How do you think the teen has been defined specifically since the time-frame of the Reader's Digest article?
What " shackles" are holding you back from something that is hard for you, or that seems to great for you to attempt?
Feel free to post your thoughts or questions on this!
1 Timothy 4:12,
Tawney Rae
What lies do you believe that teens are being deceived by that hold them back from their greatest potential?
ReplyDeleteI think that a lot of teens in our culture are constantly being deceived into believing that selfishness, disrespect, immodesty, etc. are completely acceptable and that these traits are actually even "normal". Just look at all the T.V. shows, information on the internet and magazine articles (not to mention other sources) that constantly promote bad behavior. It seems to me that instead of using "average" to define the typical teen attitude of today, we use the word "normal". If you don't listen to teen music, text all day, etc. you are taught to believe that you are abnormal. We are taught to feel entitled to our teen years - our years of freedom. Most importantly, I think that teens are taught to believe that religion is old-fashioned and boring and that it has no place in a person's everyday life. So many teens of today don't understand how wonderful it is to follow God's commandments and serve Him!
Sorry this is in two seperate comments. I took me a while to figure this out : ).
ReplyDeleteHow do you think we can defeat those lies; inwardly and outwardly?
That is a good question! I think that spending time in prayer, asking God to help lead us away from worldly temptations is really important. Without His grace, it is impossible to defeat the lies that are constantly around us. I think it is also important to act outwardly, especially by resisting those things that will lead us away from God. Through this, we might even be able to influence others : ). For example, by dressing modestly, we are inwardly trying to keep our heart pure and, at the same time, outwardly showing our respect for God and men. Then, we might even be ready to do hard things for God and prove to our generation that teens don't have to be selfish and lazy...we have so much more potential!
How do you think the teen has been defined specifically since the time-frame of the Reader's Digest article?
I think that the definition that most comes to mind is: "An irresponsible, selfish phase that children go through before reaching adulthood". If you look up "typical teen behavior" on the internet, most websites state that it is a time of rebellion, moodiness, etc. that young people go through after they reach 13. Instead of using it as a time of discernment and preparation, the teenage years are usually just a big excuse to do whatever we want. That is so interesting that the word teenager is such a new word in the English language!
What " shackles" are holding you back from something that is hard for you, or that seems to great for you to attempt?
I think that my biggest problem is putting things off. I tend to think that I will have time to accomplish things in the future and never really start things now. If I do start something, I'm not very good at following through with it until the end. I tend to look too much into the future instead of focusing on the present. I would really like to change this in me though! I only have a few more years of being a teenager...any advice?
Thank you sooo much Tawney for these questions and all the information you have given! It is really informative and has helped me to think a lot!
Sarah
Sarah,
ReplyDeleteI really appreciate your input in the comments!
I think you hit it right on when you said we are taught to feel entitled to these years, and to "just go have fun". We aren't taught that these years are actually the most important, and are our "launching pad" if you will, for getting in to service, later on. We need to recognize our potential for not only later years by preparing now, but what potenetial we have now. It's crucial. We are called to be an example even as young people, to the rest of the believers... now, how many teens do you know that could measure up to that calling? It's pretty sad that there's only a few in our personal lives we can look to. But it is partly our fault. We have succumbed to the lies of our culture, and lowered ourselves... who's to blame? I'd have to say that it, sadly, is our fault. We could change, if we wanted to. We could (as you said) spend time in prayer/the Word, and learn to defeat the inward lies we face first and foremost. Once we defeat what we are fighting inwardly, a lot on the outside will take care of itself in a way. "God's gotta' change your heart before He can change your shirt", as it's been said.
Enough of that though. :) Ill do a post some time on that.
My advice to you if you have a hard time actually following through with things, is this:
GET ACCOUNTABILITY. That is key to doing things that are going to be a challenge for you. Tell someone who you trust and is discerning, etc. about things God is speaking to you about. Even if you haven't gotten confirmation. At least you'l have someone who knows what is on your heart, and can help you follow through if God does give you an answer. Trust me, I've been in situations where it has helped others to surrneder to what God was calling them to because I knew and was able to counsel and, most importantly, pray!
Your parents esp. It's also beautifully displays the meaning of the verse that talks about the glory of the young and old. Ours is strength. But theirs is in their wisdom. They can counsel us in our walk with God, and we can learn from them as we attempt great things for Him. It's about pairing their wisdom with our strength, and using both of those "strengths" to their fullest for God. So be accountable to them. God's been very good to me in giving me people with much more wisdom then me to help me along. So seek people who have the same heart and vision as you who will keep you accoutable!
I know where you are coming from when you talk about looking TO MUCH into the future.I would say this:
LEARN TO LIVE IN THE MOMENT GOD IS PUTTING YOU IN RIGHT NOW. Are you taking every moment before you as an opportunity to do good to others and glorify Him? You have to learn to look ahead, see the vision, but be content where God has you NOW. Contentment seems to be soooo misused by Christains, though. That doesn't mean your not moving forward or living passionately for God. Ever heard the saying "hustle while you wait" ? Same principle. And learn the art of greatness in your walk with God. I'm probably going to start a series on the importance of inward manifestations of greatness in our walk with God that must come before outward greatness in service. So you might hear more on that very soon!
I hope that is helpful to you, and if you have any more comments,questions or thoughts,please feel free to share them! I love to hear from you!
Hi Tawney! Thank you so much for your advice! It really did help! I talked to my Mom the other day about accountability...and she has helped me to organize my priorities and actually get things done. I feel like I've been able to do such much more in just the last few days! Like you, I have been blessed with wonderful parents who can help lead me to God and I should ask for their advice: ). I loved how you said, "Are you taking every moment before you as an opportunity to do good to others and glorify Him?". By focusing on this, even the most simple chores and daily jobs can have so much more meaning! Maybe I can glorify God while talking to my neighbor as I am taking my dog for a walk...maybe I will glorify Him while cheerfully sweeping the floor. This has helped me to serve Him passionately and has also helped me to be content in the present moment. I will keep working on it. Thanks again for these posts and the advice. I can't wait to start watching and reading the rest!
ReplyDeleteSarah