10 “The one who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and the one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much. 11 If then you haven’t been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will entrust you with the true riches? 12 And if you haven’t been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you your own? Luke 16:10-13
This is part 3 of my blogs on the Spiritual Teen years. Today, I will be sharing how one moves through this season of maturing.
First, it’s important to remember that you can’t skip the Spiritual Teen years. However, you don’t have to stay there forever. If you catch yourself saying a lot of “I”, “me” and “my” statements, ask yourself “Why do you feel that way?” If you really want to grow fast, ask someone you trust.
Think about a real life teenager.
What do they need?
They need authority. A coach. A teacher. A parent. A mentor.
Why are these roles important for the teen?
Because they pull them out of their silly way of thinking and behaving.
I know I said that kind of harsh but it’s true. A teenager knows just enough truth to make them dangerous. C’mon, you know I’m right. Teens think they understand responsibility because they read about it on twitter or wikipedia. Stop! Every teen needs to understand one thing. Every teen needs to understand authority.
The same is true spiritually. Every Spiritual Teenager needs a Spiritual Parent who will pull them out of their silly way of thinking. Why? Because they know just enough to make them dangerous.
If you would identify yourself as a Spiritual Teenager, I would encourage you with 2 specific things: First, find someone who you want to be like when you grow up and ask them if you can join them in something they are doing. Please don’t invite them to something new. They are probably busy and will not have the space to add something to their calendar. However, if you know some of their routine, you might be able to join them. Maybe a fireside they lead, maybe for a cup of coffee, or maybe for a meal (most people I know eat).
When you get time with them, and this will be hard at first, but when you get time with them, ask questions and then stop talking so that you can hear what they have to say. Let me say more about this because this is often a big miss for Spiritual Teenagers. Come prepared with questions. Have a note pad or some device to take notes on. Lean in and learn. Show them that you value their experience. By doing these things, you might be surprised how open they are to giving you more time in the future.
My second encouragement is this: understand that God is your ultimate authority…And, God has placed men and women in leadership above you ON PURPOSE. There is nothing more dangerous than a leader who has never successfully submitted underanother person’s ministry. Stop talking bad about your leader. Don’t leave your leader (unless you are being abused) until God moves you. Wherever you are, God has you there on purpose.
Blessings,
Pastor Matt