I am really concerned about today's youth. Many young people profess to be Christians in today's world, but very few live it out. During high school Awana tonight, I was working on my doctrine homework because I wasn't needed as a leader at that moment. Mr. Sexton was teaching the lesson and it was on "gray areas" of the Christian walk. One thing he said really gripped my heart. He said that about 93% of 13 year olds believe that they are Christians, but really are not. I could barely believe that I heard him correctly - that means only 7% of 13 year olds in this country are truly Evangelical Christians. How sad. Another thing I've noticed is that even those teenagers that profess to be Christians and walk the walk are confused in some ways. I read a lot of the bulletins that get posted here on myspace and sometimes what they say truly shock me. I've seen several quiz bulletins that say "what do you think about abortion?" and the answers of some people really surprised me. Many of the answers say "It's your choice" or "I guess it's ok." That truly surprised me. As Christians, we should believe that abortion is not OK, even more so that it is flat out wrong. Abortion, in every way, shape and form, is MURDER. If you were to research how an abortion is performed and what it does to the baby, I believe you would be horrified. When I read about abortion in my health book in the 7th or 8th grade, I was crying. My mom walked into my room and saw me crying and asked me what was wrong. I just showed her the book - I couldn't even speak. I was moritified.
I cannot even begin to voice how scared I am for America. I'm sure you've all heard the popular saying "Children are our future." In fact, there's a song by Whitney Houston where she starts out by singing "I believe that children are our future. Teach them well and let them lead the way, Show them all the beauty they possess inside." With the children being our nation's future, consider where we will be when they are grown. If today's children have confused and twisted beliefs, how much worse will our nation be in 20 years? I'm scared to say this, but I think that within the next 20 or 30 years, America will no longer be a free nation. We're certainly no longer a Christian nation. We need help raise up children with a Godly, Biblical worldview if we want to see America live. We need to help our youth straighten out their beliefs so that they will be able to better help those younger. In many churches, we have lost the practice of discipleship. We convert people and give them a pat on the back, but leave them to grow up on their own. No wonder so many people go astray. They were not properly discipled; they didn't get to grow up in Christ. Many believers are being lead astray because they were still only drinking milk; they were never able to partake of the "solid food" that the apostle Paul talked about in Hebrews 5.
"For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil." (Hebrews 5:12-14)
So, before I close out this blog, I want you to conisder something - are you still just a babe drinking milk? Or, are you of full age and eating meat? If you are of full age, please, please help disciple those who are still babes. Help our youth get on fire for God. One of my college professors said that, "every revival in history started with some youth." Friends, America NEEDS a revival. Please help those youth to get on fire for God and let's be the change that we want to see in our dying world.
