Godly Wisdom from Lou Reeves

I was thinking about some things the other day and about myself when I was in high school and about some of the idiotic decisions I made.  And I was looking at my news feed on Facebook and some posts really made me sad.  The paths that people have chosen have led them down a road I'm sure they didn't want to go down when they were younger and now they are dealing with all sorts of issues.  I wanted to get the perspective from one of my old teachers.  What did she think about it?  Here is the question I asked her:


"What happens to a teenager's brain during their high school years that causes them to turn into alcoholic, sex crazy, baby makin', lazy, non-Jesus lovin' people?"


The response I received wasn't what I was expecting.  


She said:


First, call it sin. Satan gets them to start to realize that they can get by with things - that maybe sin won't catch up with them - that they are invincible. God's perfection for them isn't as alluring as the world's attention, activity, and well, fun. Why stay home, stay a virgin, mind your manners, and listen to your parents when the rest of the world isn't? I mean, look at what they are surrounded by - The Bachelor - pick whomever you like, she'll sleep with you and you can toss her aside; Lindsay Lohan - how many times can you get caught without consequences; Michael VIck - pay the price you STILL get the cash and fame - - - when they see you and me, they see boring, poor, really kind of sad. We budget to make the next paycheck, we sleep with the same person day after day, we don't have the luster of satan's world. That's part of it - old fashioned sin. Isn't that what the children of Israel saw in all the foreign gods they chased after? They even opted to return to slavery instead of sticking it out in the desert - - - sin - - we forget it's power without a constant walk with Christ. Like it or not, sin is just starting to take hold when we get the chance to think for ourselves.

Second, my wise friend, is hormones. I know it's a re-run of all you've heard before, but honestly, these kids are starting to realize that sex is fun, losing yourself in alcohol is fun, fitting in is fun. Their bodies, their needs, their wants an their desires are changing, so- - - their values and morals do as well. Sex is nice and I feel loved for this moment. Alcohol makes me forget and for this moment I fit in. I even think there have been studies done that shows a teen ager's brain does change it's precess through this time.

Third, I think is pressure. When you think of the pressure they are under to perform at school, to fit in to the crowd, to please mom, step-mom, dad, step-dad, and a multitide of teachers, get into college, get elected to anything at school, fit in to some crowd AND please their youth minister ;), well, it's overwhelming. There's pressure to succeed, there's pressure to be part of the crowd, there's pressure everywhere. Often they feel there's no where to turn but to the world. God isn't real to them. He can't sit beside them and hold them and make their world right, but the gay druggie next door can. They often are not taught to think for themselves. I always hated trying to "teach to the test" - Remember? Write like this and you'll pass TAKS, TAAS, TAPS - whatever the test of the year was. Kids are not taught to think and reason - they aren't allowed to work through the process. Memorize, think this way, walk this way, and you will pass, fit in, succeed. We don't teach them problem solving, consequences, and step-by-step planning. We bail them out, we buy them out and in doing so we sell them out. Parents, teachers, friends, we all see them as some kind of throw-away commodity we can simply train and they will succeed. We have to start helping them think for themselves. That's what I loved about the Teen Leadership class they let me teach. Even though it wasn't scripturally based (until I went out on my own) it taught consequences, thinking skills, reasoning skills, and sound decision making. I still have kids write or e-mail asking for advice, remembering that class. Invaluable skills we forget they need.

Finally, my brother in Christ - don't be discouraged. While they may wander through the wilderness, if we train them in the way they should go, we are promised they will not depart from it. Help them see the consequences of their choices - don't tell them. Accept them no matter what and help them reason out the choices they have. Teach them the power of a walk with Christ and let them see it in all you do. You aren't going to change or influence them by preaching, teaching, or beating them over the head with a Bible - I raised three boys, that doesn't work - tried it. Live if before them. Remind them that even when they make choices - whether to find themselves (and for some reason professing your homosexual tendencies seems to be hot right now) - to explore their options (and sex and drugs seem to running neck and neck here) - or just fitting in - you accept them and Jesus loves them. They have to see that their choices make affect them, but can't keep them from HIM. They need to see the simple joys of being in His will - living by His laws - and abiding in His grace. I always used to tell the boys while bad choices have consequences, ultimately you will always be my son - same with them. Despite what they do, they will always be God's child. Help the see that the realtionship may be affected, they may miss an opportunity to witness, but they will always, always be His. 




Thank you Mrs. Reeves for sharing your thoughts and heart on this matter.  God is truly using you to impact students even though you are no longer in the classroom!  


FYI - I learned more from her Journalism/Teen Leadership class than any other class in my Jr./Sr. High years!