The Kids Are Alright (Friday Devotional)

 

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.

- 1 Timothy 4:12

There is a lot adults don’t understand about the generations who come after them. Why do they talk that way, with slang that defies the rules of grammar and words you won’t find in a printed dictionary? Why do they dress that way, resurrecting fashion trends you thought we’d left behind decades ago? And what are these references they make which are foreign to you, from TikToks to manga to Netflix shows you didn’t know existed? It’s all enough to make your head spin.

With that confusion also comes judgment. Every generation is convinced that the ones behind theirs don’t work hard enough, that they are entitled, that they have their priorities out of whack. Adults, hardened by the world, scoff at the perceived naivete of youth, preaching a cynicism they call realism and mocking idealism as fantasy. Grown-ups claim the children are our future, but are never ready to entrust them with anything we could otherwise control.

Nevertheless, the more time you spend with youth and kids, the more you will be left in awe. You will be crushed by the unrelenting pressure they are facing. You will be amazed by the boundlessness of their energy. You will be warmed by the unabashed fervency of their spirit.

I spent the last week at youth camp with 8 of our church’s students and more than 1,100 others from around the state. Every day we ate bad food, played silly games, sweated through multiple sets of clothes, and slept in cabins that will never be confused with the Hilton. By the end of the week, every adult at Mt. Lebanon was ready to return home to the embraces of our families and the comforts of our homes.

But I suspect that most, like me, walked away from youth camp having learned more than they taught. When you see teenagers spent 3 straight hours in uninterrupted prayer and worship, it’s hard to be cynical about their outlook on life. When you see them praising God with all their being, it makes you wonder what’s holding you back. When you see friends care for each other like brothers and sisters, it fills you with hope.

The next generation won’t do it like we did, or like our parents did. They never do and they never will. But if we’ll give them a chance, passing on God’s Word to them instead of our baggage, they’ll be more than ok. The kids are alright—and if we’ll pay attention, they have a thing or two to teach us.