I hear remarks on "teen-agers" a lot, from songs and movies to people making statements around me. These comments are to these effects: "Teen-agers naturally will be thinking of dark, depressing things." "Teen-agers just do strange [dark] things." "They're teen-agers. Of course they're rebellious." "I dread my sweet, little children becoming teen-agers --Teens are monsters!" "Teen-agers will never get along with anyone younger or older than them. It won't happen, and it doesn't need to happen. They live in their own little world, and eventually they will come out of it."
Come again?
Now, my knowledge of the average American "teen-aged" girl is somewhat lacking, because I grew up around non-average American "teen-aged" girls. Here are examples of our non-averageness: We had and shared too much joy to be depressed or ponder things of darkness and evil, and there was significant peer pressure among us.
I'm of the belief that peer pressure is a GOOD thing. Just as long as you have the right kind of peers. I Corinthians says that bad company corrupts good morals. For my friends and I, there was (and is) pressure to be respectful. To be obedient. To always put others ahead of yourself. To be reserved and quiet when around adults. To speak only of God-pleasing subjects. To be good role models to younger children and involving ourselves in their lives to lead them toward a strong relationship with the Lord. Not to draw unnecessary attention to yourself. To be pure and holy, set apart to God.
I suppose my question-for-thought of the day is: Who are your peers? What do they encourage you to do? Do they encourage you to draw closer to the Lord or push yourself away from Him? Think carefully about each and every bosom-friend you have.
And my encouragement to parents is this: Teach your young children to select as bosom-friends only people who are uplifting and honourable, and when they grow into their so-called "teens," they will have the strength of their bosom-friends to bring them through the darts of Satan. There is a reason that there is no night in Heaven: All darkness is of Satan. In the end, it is your son and daughter's decision which path to take, but if they are brought up with you (the parents) and bosom-friends who are strong in the Lord, they will be less likely to stray. Yet another reason to homeschool.
For a sword drill exercise, here a few verses to look up: (Yes, I did mean now, and I did mean all of them. It'll take you a minute to grab your Bible and then a couple of minutes to look them up... And that was five minutes of your day. You have five minutes, right?)
Dwelling in the joy of the Lord: I Thessalonians 5:16
Respecting elders: Leviticus 19:32
On bad company: I Corinthians 15:33, Ephesians 5:6-7
On obedience to parents: Ephesians 6:1
Placing others above yourself: Philippians 2:4, Mark 9:33-35
For ladies to be reserved and quiet, not drawing attention: I Timothy 2:9-12, Philemon 2:3-8
Speaking and thinking of God-pleasing subjects: Philemon 2:8, 2:12, Colossians 3:8-9, Ephesians 5:22-32, Philippians 4:7-8
To be set apart and holy: Philemon 2:14 (I love his phrasing in KJV: "a peculiar people"), II Corinthians 5:17
Training up a child: Proverbs 22:6
Have some more verses to add? Give ME a sword drill!
