Work in Progress: Part 1

What Do We as Youth in North America Define Ourselves By?
The following is an attempt to put fleeting thoughts of how young “Christian” (notice Christian is put in quotation marks) peoples define themselves while living in today’s culture. Is Christ truly at the center of their lives, or are their dreams of what they want their lives to be blinding them to God’s will? Do they claim to have faith yet lack the deeds that reflect that faith, as approached in the second chapter of James? Are they blind to their compromise with the pop culture today, rather than living sold out for the glory of our Abba, Father? Has life become about the grades one gets in school, the necessary spew of A’s printed across one’s report card? Or maybe its about how many points they scored in their last football or basketball game. Maybe it's how many boyfriends or girlfriends they've had. Or is it for that Spiritual high they get when they sing their heart out in worship and at retreats, but then being content to live a mediocre life, and failing to apply all that was instructed to them in the Word? Has devotion to Christ become something that is necessary because one can somehow earn his pleasure? Because that’s not what my Bible says. Devotion certainly isn’t out of self-glorification and what one gets out of it, but what one gives to God as a result of that devotion. It is not only out of duty and respect, but of love, fear, humility and loyalty as well. For who Christ was, is, and shall continue to be; not only what he has done. We should worship God for who he is in his righteousness, perfection, and majesty because he is deserving, not just because of what he can do for us. True devotion isn’t selfish, rather it is selfless. True love is sacrificial, giving of oneself for the bettering of or best interests of another. There is no greater love than this: a man lays down his life for his friends.

So where did we go so wrong? What has caused this confusion? Who is, may I ask, to blame for where we got so off track that we struggle to find our way back?
The Individual. Of course we need to take responsibility for our own actions. Who else can do so in all honesty? We must suffer the consequences that come with the decisions that we make: both good and bad. We are all sinners, and because of the sinful nature born of the fall, we seek after our own interests unless allowed to do otherwise by the grace of God. We have become lazy, unwilling to go the extra mile to make a difference and risk being looked down upon or persecuted. Don’t get me wrong, persecution isn’t what being a Christian is all about, but we cannot ignore the biblical account of Paul, Peter, and others who were persecuted for the life they lived for the sake of Christ and the truth of the gospel; not to mention our Saviour and Lord Jesus Christ, who made the ultimate sacrifice for the sake of his beloved children. In living, it shouldn’t be our desire or motive to be persecuted, but we should acknowledge, and need to realize that when living in this world and not of it, we will be persecuted by those who are not of the light. Jesus is the word and light that shone in the darkness, but the darkness did not know him. Also, Christ says that we WILL have trouble, but to take heart because he has overcome the world. When the world agrees with us and the way we are living, you’d think we’d begin to wonder a little bit, what are we doing wrong? The way we live should reflect to others that we are set apart from this world. Within a few moments of meeting a Christian, or a few moments of talking with them, one should be able to tell that there is something different about them, something in their life that isn’t seen in the lives of those in and of the world: something like life given by the Holy Spirit living within. True life and hope for something more. Are we living that type of life? (I say we, because by God’s grace, I am included in those of whom are beloved and blessed to be called children of God. I hope and pray that my life and the way I love and live reflects that.) Are we living lives worthy of the calling “Children of God?”