by Marisa Hefflefinger

Created on: May 05, 2008

GIVING CHRISTIAN ADVICE TO TEENS

The teenage years can be the most difficult because of the numerous mental and physical changes that take place. Add to this peer pressure, negative media influences, parent divorces, societal violence . . . the list goes on and on. With so much worldly negativity to deal with, it is no wonder teens have problems. Even Christian teens can stray from God and rebel during these years, so strong is the pull of sin.

Relating Christianity to teenagers is important to keep them aware of God and His promises or bring unbelievers to Him when advice is needed. Unfortunately, the task is often left to youth pastors, and although that is part of their job description, advising teens should be something every Christian adult feels at ease with.

Brian McLaren (2007) tells how his friend views the church as a jigsaw puzzle with the wrong lid. You use the picture on the lid to help put the puzzle together. It is your image of how the final product should appear. When you find pieces that do not seem to fit, you simply push them aside, assuming that they were added in by mistake. Sometimes you even discard them because they are only getting in the way of completing the puzzle as you think it should look.

Similarly, adults avoid intervention with troubled teens, as they feel completely out-of-touch with today's culture. The teens get dropped off the table since they do not add to the assumed final picture. Let's be honest, here. Teens of the 2000's are truly a different breed, but that doesn't mean they cannot be reached, and it certainly does not mean they aren't worth reaching. To give Christian advice to teenagers, look to the things that mean the most to them - music and movies, and always fall back on the Good Book.

Using Music for Advice

Forget the idea that contemporary Christian music is the spawn of the devil; that is nonsense. Psalm 150:2-5 directs:

Praise him for his acts of power; praise him for his surpassing greatness. Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise him with the harp and lyre, praise him with tambourine and dancing, praise him with the strings and flute, praise him with the clash of cymbals, praise him with resounding cymbals.

That doesn't sound like He's asking for quiet, calm hymns. Current Christian music covers the same genres as secular music, but the lyrics are different. With an identical sound, Christian tunes sing of the value of life, importance of prayer, and goodness of God. They declare praise and worship,

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