Let me tell you, I have tried in the past to fit this mold. I've meticulously calculated my likes on pictures on social media and figured out which pictures tend to get the most likes, I've worn loads of makeup to make myself feel beautiful, I've gauged my success on my ability to win over guys or make A's in my classes, I've spent half hours just trying to pick out clothes for the day, and I've lived whole entire days on my phone. This is normal though, so it's ok, right? I don't cuss, I don't drink or do drugs, I try to read my Bible every day, so I must be different. But in a normal daily basis, how am I living different from any other teenager? Quite frankly, the mold is suffocating. I want something more. I want to stand out.
"Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity." ~ 1 Timothy 4:12
Yes, this verse IS telling teenagers to let no one despise them for their youth, but despite assumptions, it's not an automatic thing. Notice that the first word is "let" which is an action verb. Teenagers, WE control what others think and say about our youth! In order for us to not "let" anyone look down upon us for our age, we have to set an example and TRULY be different:
In Speech: What if in our speech, we were characterized by not only the fact that we refuse to cuss, but we also encouraged, loved, and provided the kindness that most people don't often receive? And what if in our speech, we didn't just talk about our homework, or some random daily drama, or that guy/girl we like, but instead we talked about our passions and told others our stories? And what if in our speech, we were open about our imperfections and expressed humility, because honestly... the competition to be better than each other is just a joke? And what if in our speech, we actually proclaimed the gospel that we are called to speak of, instead of "waiting until" we are older/wiser/more courageous?
In Conduct: What if in our conduct, we not only refused to participate in the constant fights and drama that the world is saturated in, but also stood in truth? The truth that God loves each of us and that none of us are perfect. Therefore, we would be apologetic, forgiving, accepting, loving, and compassionate. What if unlike the rest of our class, we actually respected our teachers? What if we actually respected our parents? What if we strove for excellence in everything that we did instead of the bare minimum? This list could go on and on, because often our actions speak even louder than our words. We must remember that we are not only to speak differently, but LOOK different in our actions so that we do not become hypocrites. We are to paint a pictures for others to see what following Jesus truly looks like.
In Love: What if in our love, we didn't just love those who were convenient to love and loved us, but we reached out to those whom everyone else refused to love? What if we made a commitment to love all peoples, our parents and siblings, our friends, our enemies, our neighbors, the people we see in our daily rhythms of life, strangers, and especially the poor and "the least of these" all around the world? What if we saturated ourselves daily and preached to ourselves daily of the love of God for us and allowed His love to pour out of us?
"Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things." 2 Corinthians 13:4-7
Teenagers, what if we were actually brave enough to live this way, in love, and hold our lives to these standards?
In faith: What if in our faith, we decided that no matter what, we would give our ALL to Jesus? What if we chose to believe that every single moment added up in our lives had God's sovereignty in it, and even on our hardest days, we had the faith to say "God, I know you love me and I know you are in this somehow"? What if we had the faith to share the gospel despite the awkwardness and fear of our own failing words? What if we had the faith to start giving generously out of our comfort zones (time, money, efforts) and opened our hands to allow God to give and take away all that we had? What if we had the faith to do big things that weren't expected of us because we KNEW that God is a big God? What if we even had the faith to leave our comfort zones for the rest of our lives and throw that lifestyle of complacency away?
In Purity: What if in our purity, we lived in constant remembrance that our bodies are God's temples? What if we dressed modestly, refused to let our minds wander to in-pure thoughts, gave up anything unholy and leading to sexual sin, and became confident in our identity found in Jesus instead of our body image? What if we waited for God to send someone worth waiting for instead of settling in our relationships? What if we realized that true beauty is what God makes in us and reflects on us instead of what the world tells us to be?
Teenager, I beg that you would consider all of these things and what your life could look life if you changed your standards and decided to live on God's terms! His burden is easy and His yoke is light yet you keep trying to do things on your own. The person that YOU create is selfish, prideful, unthankful, lazy, stubborn, angry, despising, lonely, and incapable. That person will always want more and will never be satisfied with life and its outcomes. The person that HE makes is selfless, humble, thankful, steadfast, obedient, kind, loving, loved and capable of ALL things in His power. They will be given a life that is lived to the fullest measure, and that life can start NOW. He WILL make you beautiful, and I can promise you that.
"For this very reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands, for God has given us a spirit not of fear, but of power, and love, and self-control." 2 Timothy 1:6-7
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