I recently had a conversation with a student - leader about dating and relationships. Nothing earth shattering there of course. We all can recount endless counseling sessions with students about this extremely prevalent topic in our youth groups today.
What makes this conversation interesting has more to do with a realization I had shortly after it was over: this little impromptu talk may indeed have been about dating, but another thing it revealed goes much deeper and can teach us a great deal about the dilemma our students face each and every day.
The interaction went something like this: the student asked "Hey what do you think about Christians dating non-Christians?" My answer included an Impressive dissertation on the dangers of "being unequally yoked" and continued into a series of mini sermons on topics such as purity, Christian, commitment, and honoring thy parents that would have made my Moody Theology professors proud; all of which the enlightened student of course agreed with.
She then informed me that "insert generic student name" here doesn't understand what the big deal is; after all "I'm only in High School and it's only a short term high school thing….". This conversation went on for quite some time and as we finished I felt very confident that the student who had come to me for advice was well equipped to give wise and Godly counsel to her friend.
As I was patting myself on the back for a job well done, it hit me like a brick across the face: I had missed the bigger issue! The student who wanted to date the non-Christian is unwittingly faced with a dilemma far bigger than choosing someone to date, though of course this is an issue.
She is viewing herself through the wrong filter -she is suffering from an identity crisis! She sees herself as merely a high school student who is allowed to make bad decisions and accept less than God's best. She doesn't believe in her core that she is the current generation of the church but rather sees herself as merely the future with time to "live it up" until the time comes for her to become an active minister after she grows up.
As youth leaders, it is imperative that we assist all our students to see the danger of this thinking. We need to trumpet John 12:26 to our students so that they see that "Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant will also be. My father will honor the one who serves me." Our students need to embrace the truth found here and choose the Bible way over the world's way. Not to legalistically earn favor with God, but rather because they realize that their salvation was immediate and that their assignment as a kingdom warrior or servant with a mission is also immediate!
My friends we need to see this issue as one that needs to be addressed and we must begin to change this thinking in our students! If we do, we will see a generation empowered by Him to make a difference now. We need to help them see themselves as full heirs of the Gospel with an assignment to further His kingdom. This begins at that blessed moment of salvation and not at some future date that allows them to choose anything but His best while they are "merely in High School!"
Will you join with me in calling our students to live out their calling and fully experience His blessings as the embrace their true identity as present day participants in the Kingdom of God?