This chapter mainly addresses the "myth of adolescence", a culture-set low standard stating teens are virtually unable to cope with everything and need to take it easy. In other words, the Norm thinks young people incapable of amounting to anything. But what's interesting is that the word teenager hasn't even been around long. There was no in between years: "When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put childish things away." (1 Corinthians 13:11) The teen years should be used as a "launching pad" for adult years, not a have fun while ya can, it ain't gonna last!!! mindset, which, sadly, is exactly what the Norm has made it to be. "...people today view the teen years through the modern lens of adolescene--a social category of age and behavior that would have been completely foreign to men and women not too long ago. The term adolescence literally means to 'grow up'. This is true in a biological sense as well as in other aspects of maturity. We have no problem with that, or even with the word itself...The problem we have is with the modern understanding of adolescence that allows, encourages, and even trains young people to remain childish for mch longer than necessary. It holds us back from what we COULD do, from what God MADE us to do, and even from what we would WANT to do if we got out from under society's low expectations."
Later on in the chapter, there is a list of expectations that came up when the Harrish brothers Googled for teens' standards...read them and ask yourself, "Is this fair? Is this right?" It's so sad, it's funny! The Norm has fallen so far in its expectations of young people: "Isn't it ironic that teenagers, though fluent in multiple computer languages...are not expected to understand or care about things like personal finances, politics, or out faith? We're not even expected to be capable of carrying on an intelligent conversation with an adult. Isn't something wrong when girls are constantly judged on their physical appearane and pressed to become more and more sexually provocative, yet are so rarely expected to develop qualities of character and intellect beneath the surface?" Yet, we must wonder whether or not the normality, our fallen culture, is entirely to blame for our listless behavior. When we are given low expectations, we are naturally going to stoop lower to reach them. But God has given us higher standards, a way to rise above, in His Word. ...of course, if we are too lazy to read the Bible, we can never find out what we COULD be doing...
"So whose expectations are we living by?...'Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world' (Romans 12:2, NIV). When we let cultural expectations become our standard, we allow ourselves to be squeezed into a mold, with little room for Christlike character or competence." We reach the minimum requirements, and then stop right there. We have the oppurtunity to prepare and test out God's work for us as adults NOW, yet we tarry and slander away our time on earthly, worldly things that will do us no good in the long run.
The Harris brothers give an interesting analogy of the way cultural mindsets chain us to low expectations. When an elephant is still young, the owner take his right hind leg and shackles it to a tree. The elephant, though he may try to pull away, is incapable of escaping and so stops trying. Then when the elephant is fully grown, the owner replaces the chain with twine and the tree with a post. What is astounding is that when the elephant pulls at the twine, he feels the least bit of resistance and gives up because he remembers when he was young and unable of breaking free. We have become like chained elephants; it's sad and ugly, but true. Often the truth IS sad and ugly. But it doesn't have to be. Read the examples near the beginning of the chapter of the three young people who dared to do hard things. We can't be afraid of opposition. Nor can we fear being uncool! What if someone you really admire, someone really neat and classy, said that breathing was uncool, and everyone around you stopped breathing for the sake of being respected as cool in their peers' eyes? Would you stop breathing? You might get persecuted and teased and harrassed for it, but you will be doing a hard thing: you will be going against the flow. Scary, hard, and seemingly impossible? Yup, on our own. But not when God's strength is surging through us, motivating us. Let God in. Do hard things!
Questions for Discussion:
What does the word "teenager" REALLY mean?
Do the modern expectations seem a bit ridiculous to you? What are some other ways that the culture has taken advantage of our God-given ability to make a change, to break the chain?
What are some ways you can rebel against the Norm?
If you are able, Google teens and expectations. What do you come up with? Is it fair? Is it right?
"We have proven strength and God-given potential--the potential to do hard, important things--but we are held captive by a lie. We have been conditioned to believe what is false, to stop when things feel hard, and to miss out on God's incredible purpose for our teen years."
Comments
Jan. 21, 2009 - Untitled Comment
Written by Mariella1214
Hey! If you would like to help pray for our unborn brothers and sisters over the course of 100 days starting january 20 (I know this is a bit late!) please visit this blog:
http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/prayforlife
Thanks!
Jan. 21, 2009 - Untitled Comment
Written by narnialover95
I've awarded ya, MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!! =P
God Bless,
Taylor
Jan. 21, 2009 - Untitled Comment
Written by dreamwalker
sure Pippy dear! I hope I put it in the right spot...=)
God bless,
Zel
p.s. I awarded you again. I just didn't put it up yet. It'll be on in a bit.
Jan. 25, 2009 - Untitled Comment
Written by purpleprincess
I have never read that poem, but I have wathchd the Anne of Green Gables searies on tv and she loved that poem. :)
Cheese Soufflé from Phantom Moose Films on Vimeo.
Go to ImageShack® to Create your own Slideshow