Look up Proverbs 13:4. Adulthood isn’t very far away. For some, it may be just a year or two until they can vote. For kids under 18, adulthood may seem like the time in your life when people start respecting you. It’s the milestone you reach before entering college or starting a career.
Though becoming an adult can seem like an exciting time, we teens still often act like kids. Though we are responsible and can accomplish more than before, we are often tempted to play video games more than we want to learn new talents. We have fun with our friends instead of helping others. Though it’s all right to have fun, we shouldn’t spend all our time on video games. Some teens might not be like this, but many of America’s teens are.
Is this bad? It can be. I know I have a good time playing online games on my computer, but I never get anything done. It’s not bad to relax once in a while, but most teens relax too much. Teens that want to have fun playing video games during their spare time may develop bad habits that will continue on into adulthood. Imagine a 30-year-old in his mom’s basement playing Mario Kart.
Look up Romans 12:2.
Are there some “things of the world” that you can get rid of in your life?
The teen years are the time to prepare for adulthood. It will be here before we know it, and we won’t be ready for it if we stay like this.
Look up 2 Chronicles 34:1-3.
Like Josiah, G-d can use us at a young age. Start a club. Raise money for an orphanage. Expand your talents. If you like to teach, tutor younger students. If you like to write articles or essays, submit your best stuff to your school newspaper. G-d has a plan for each of us, and we need to use our time well.
What are ways G-d can use you at a young age?
As 1 Timothy 4:12 says: “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.”
Ask G-d to show you some ways to expand your talents or use your time productively. Just because we’re teens with no way of getting a full time job doesn’t mean we can’t get ready for one. The teen years are the best years to start learning new talents and begin preparing for adulthood.
This article was authored by Regional Representative Sam Deck
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