This past week, I asked God where we have gone so wrong with rearing the youth of today. Is Covid, bullying and lack of family the sole causes of so many wayward young people? God led me to a totally new perspective. It was an awakening!!!
Youth of today are absorbed in the worldly ladder of horizontal success. They are judged by being the best athlete, the smartest student, the most beautiful body, etc., etc., etc. Sadly, not only do they constantly hear this from their peers, but also, from their parents, teachers and coaches. Standard way of the young’s thinking (and believing) is if they aren’t the best, they are sub adequate. Those who do attain the top rung are indoctrinated that they are only valuable (and validated) if they remain above all competition. But is this God’s doctrine? I don’t think so, or at least that was what I heard God whispering to me.
Truth be told, I can’t find even one place in God’s word where He speaks that any human being is perfect, without fault, and towers above all other creatures; or that this is the direction in which mankind is to strive. However, multiple times God reveals, though we all are sinners, the gift of His grace carries us beyond the lowliness of our shortcomings and into the highest glory – the reward of being called a child of God capable of (and destined to) reach beyond the limelight of the stars and merit the heavens.
The greatest tragedy, today, is not that our youth are obsessed with their self-worth being tied to worldly status. It is that we, their parents, teachers and coaches, have helped their identity be tied to successes instead of instilling in them that, like us grown-ups, they are sinners, not created to be measured by perfection, but grace covered in our imperfections. Honestly, our adult conversations concerning the individual youth in our family, more than not, would, most likely, convict us all in this regard. Ouch!!!
Maybe, young people need to know they are not adored because of what they achieve. Quite possibly, what the young need to receive is our unconditional love, not solely doled out when they stand perfect above all others, but forever theirs, even when they fall down and “soul”y need God’s gift of grace to crawl across their finish line.
Wonder what the world would reflect if we, adults, set out to help our young identify with being a grace gifted sinner instead of the reflection of a flawless, better than the rest, human being?
Uplifted in a Broken Down World 