A MESSAGE FOR YOUNG PEOPLE THAT HAS UNIVERSAL APPLICATION

Last year while in a foreign country, I had the opportunity to speak on two different days to students in a public secondary school. There were about sixty students in my classes, all of them between sixteen and eighteen years old. None of them were members of the Lord’s body. In one session, which lasted for one hour, I shared seven life principles/realities. Though these were directed to teenagers, the concepts apply to older folks as well. For the sake of convenience, I will number them, but the order in which I share(d) them is unimportant. 

(1) Each one of you is of great value––you are special to God. We know that is true because you are made in God’s image (Genesis 1:26, 27). By God’s grace, Jesus tasted death for you (Hebrews 2:9). And yes, God showed His love by giving His Son for you (John 3:16). You are blessed with abilities. You are blessed to have great potential. You are special because you are unique: no one in the world is exactly like you. 

(2) Choices have consequences. God gives each of us the freedom to choose what we do. Some of our choices are good; others are lousy. If you tell someone, “I hate you,” it is possible to apologise for such unkind words, but the person to whom you said them probably will never forget what you said and how it made them feel. A friend of mine once lost his temper and intentionally hit a hard, unmovable metal surface with his fist. He fractured his hand and suffered great pain. Whose fault was it? His own. If a person breaks the law and as a result must pay a fine or go to prison, whose fault is it? Choices have consequences. Do not forget: that is true for good decisions, too. If you choose to be an honest, trustworthy person, other people will notice, and that possibly will open doors of opportunity for you. Jesus said that if a man is faithful in small matters, he will be faithful in larger ones also (Luke 16:10). As far as eternal consequences go, one who sows to the Spirit shall reap everlasting life, but one who sows to the flesh shall reap corruption (Galatians 6:8). Regardless of your age, your gender, or where you live, choices have consequences. Regardless of our age, we never escape that reality. 

(3) Be a hard worker. That applies to every aspect of life . . . as a student, as a worker, as one who does chores to help in his/her own family. Have you heard this Bible statement before? “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might” (Ecclesiastes 9:10). Hezekiah, a king of Judah, practised that policy: “And in every work that he began . . . he did it with all his heart” (2 Chronicles 31:21). The following instruction was given to first-century disciples who were bondservants, but it is appropriate for all of Jesus’ followers to practise it: “And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men” (Colossians 3:23). When you are a hard worker, other people will respect you. You will have self-respect as well, and having such respect is priceless.

(4) You do not have to experience something personally in order to know if it is good or bad. Our Creator knows all things (1 John 3:20), so He knows what is best for us. We are blessed that He gave us the Scriptures, which serve as a guiding light for our path (Psalm 119:105). If the Lord labels something as “bad/evil/wicked,” then we need to accept what He says. The same is true for what God describes as “good/holy/righteous.” Using drugs, viewing pornographic materials, and gambling are a violation of God’s will and are sinful. A person does not have to experiment with such activities in order to find out if they are suitable for him/her. God has spoken about such matters, and His clear message is to stay away from them (Galatians 5:19-21). 

(5) Life is not always fair. Some people have serious health issues from the early stages of their lives, while others are in excellent physical health. Some are born into rich families, but others are born into poverty. Some are raised in the city, while others grow up in a remote, rural area. Some easily develop strong math and tech skills, but other folks struggle with such matters. Some live immoral lives but seem to have abundant material blessings and many friends; others who do their best to live moral, godly lives seem to struggle with their finances and have few friends. Whatever our material and physical circumstances in life might be, the Lord implores us not to complain (Philippians 2:14). Regardless of what I face in life, regardless of what goes on in the world, regardless of how others act, my responsibilities to God and my fellow man do not change. One who constantly cries “Not fair” resembles an immature child. Instead of complaining about what we lack, let us be grateful for what we do possess. 

(6) Do not believe everything that you hear. Modern technology and the internet give us access to a lot of information, podcasts, news reports, “how to” videos, and a myriad of other matters. Some of it is truthful, some is not. Some of what we hear/view is helpful, but some is destructive. Learn to think for yourself. Learn to ask questions to get clarification and to be able to identify whether what you are hearing is reliable. The Lord calls on us to “Test all things” (1 Thessalonians 5:21). That includes testing those who share religious messages (1 John 4:1). We need to test all messages and all practices by comparing them to the Bible. If the message or practice harmonizes with God’s truth, it has His approval and should have ours, too. If the action or message is not in harmony with the Bible, then we need to reject it.

(7) Be kind to other people. Jesus said that the God of heaven is kind even to the unthankful and evil, and He expects us to imitate Him by being merciful (Luke 6:35,36). The world could use a lot more kind people! Your society, your community, your friends, your casual acquaintances, and your family will be blessed by your kindness. If you observe that many humans lack common courtesy and kindness, do not allow their failure to hinder you from showing kindness unconditionally to everyone you meet in life. You will never regret choosing kindness over rudeness, meanness, or aloofness. 

These seven life principles/realities deserve serious consideration. May the Lord help us to learn them and apply them well in our individual lives.