I received a disturbing phone call yesterday. A friend of mine from another part of the state was asking if I knew of a dynamic speaker who could speak to middle school students about abstaining from sexual activity. She had learned the students in her area were engaging in such on the school bus and at school. How sad for these young people. They have no idea of the potential physical damage they are doing to themselves. Nor do they know about the certain emotional damage they are bringing on themselves. It just breaks my heart. Our society has corporately put the bar so low concerning such things, this type of behavior from middle school students isn’t considered unusual. We have kicked God out of our schools. Now we are facing the consequences. Our moral compass has stopped working.
1 Corinthians 6:19 says, “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own.” We should care for our bodies because they are the dwelling place of the living God. So, why are our young people treating their bodies and other’s with such carelessness?
I would say they are behaving this way, because they are seeing it as acceptable in society. Look at Hollywood today. Look at our athletes. All you have to do is pick up a magazine or turn on a television to see how corrupt our world has become. The role models out there for our youth today are not living in a way that honors God.
I would also say they are behaving this way, because they don’t have a clue about the consequences of their actions. Romans 10:14-15 says, “How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?” We have a responsibility to teach our young people about the traps of the enemy. If he isn’t able to separate them from a relationship with Christ, he will work double time to destroy them so they are not effective for the Kingdom [John 10:10].
We have to teach our children how to rely on God’s Word when temptation comes their way. And we need to lead by example and make sure our words, actions, wardrobe, what we listen to and things we read honor God. James 1:21 says, “Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.” This was prevalent in Jesus’ day and it hasn’t changed. Yet, the Lord doesn’t leave us here ringing our hands not knowing what to do. He is very clear in His Word what we should do. Now we have to follow the Nike motto: Just do it!”
We are in a battle for our young people today. It is time to take this serious and realize our youth aren’t just being curious. We need to “Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it” [Proverbs 22:6] and conduct ourselves in such a way they can follow us without falling.
If a young person followed you today and you stepped out of the way, would they be following Jesus? Are you?