Generational Impact

I was on a walk yesterday and saw these two girls, they must've been 9, tops. One was texting and the other exclaiming something to the effect of " You can't break up with someone that fast!" Appalling, huh? They're just kids. This little encounter led me to do some thinking.



What's making kids think that it's good to try to act older? What's telling them that they need to? The younger generation has been exposed to so much media, it's shaping who they are. Not to specifically blame anybody, but secular kids' channels such as Disney are constantly telling kids what they should be like. I know Hannah Montana, for one, has a huge effect on younger kids, especially girls. I know we're like, "Oh, it's just stupid, " or whatever, but it's so much more than that. TV is telling our little brothers and sisters and all younger kids how they should be living life. Characters have become idols for them, something they feel like they should live up to at all costs. Have any of you seen these entire room sets based around Camp Rock and Hannah Montana and such? Why is that? People are making millions corrupting the upcoming generation.



But what we need to realize is, we can make a difference. I lead worship for the children's ministry at church, and I think it's incredible to see how much they look up to me. Not because it's me, necessarily, but it's this certain kind of effect that teens have on younger kids. Even just walking through the mall or whatever, kids are drawn to you. You may not realize it, but they watch you. Everything that you do is setting an example for them to follow. As teens, we are in a phenomenal place where we can affect the lives of the younger generation. I remember specific girls that I looked up to when I was little and I distinctly remember things that they said to me or did for me. Not even just a few years ago, but when I was really young, like in preschool. I grew up wanting to be just like them. It spoke to me, even before I fully realized it, that I admired them because they cared about me and I saw how they interacted with their friends and with guys and how they responded to things. We can have that same effect on the kids we know. One question remains, how?



1. Lead by example. What you say is important. But for your words to hold any worth, you have to back them up with ACTION. Remember that they watch you, and they take their lead from what you DO, not just what you say.



2. Get involved. Kids do watch you, whether you're involved in their lives or not. However, it is our responsibility to make sure that they grow up to be all they can be and are following after God with all their hearts. What's the best way to do that? Be involved in their lives. Most of us have the opportunity to talk to plenty of kids, but if you don't, then make opportunities. There are about a million different ways you can impact kids, you just have to find them.



3. Pray for them. This is huge. The surest way you can change the world is through prayer. Pray for them. Pray with them. Let them know that their concerns are important. I babysit a lot and something I almost always do is pray for them. After they go to bed, it's customary for me to just walk through their house, praying blessings over them. Devote some of your prayer time to praying for the upcoming generation, because it's through them that the work God has started in us will be continued.



4. Encourage them in the things of God. Words are so powerful. We have the authority to build up or tear down. SPEAK good things into their lives. Encourage them to make wise choices, not just because it's the right thing to do, but because we want to strive to glorify God in everything we do. Show them how they can make a difference and stand out for Him even now and get them to think about the eternal aspect. Speak things over them that will affect them, that they'll remember. Most of all, allow God to guide your words. He knows exactly what each child needs in that very moment.

And You Thought It Was Just Singing....

WORSHIP.....
A reflection how we feel about Him
RELATIONSHIP
Understanding of His presence
Promise
Faith
Fellowship
Becoming like a child
Seeking His face
A supernatural experience
Respect
The realization that it is not about you
What you were CREATED for
It's not about procedure, it's about HIS PRESENCE
Sincerity
The ultimate act of love for our Creator
Joy
Simplicity
An act of servanthood
Sincerity
It's a way of life
Priority
Security
A realization of His MAJESTY
Heartfelt
Indescribable transformation
Courage
Like nothing else you've ever experienced
Change
Reverence
His complete power is released
Utter adoration
Exaltation

This was inspired by a piece of artwork I did a few months back.... It's hanging in my room. Not like it's super amazing in the art skills aspect.... actually it's different shades of writing with watercolor splashed across it. Okay, maybe it is kinda cool. ANYWAYS, God inspired me one day and "voila!" It showed me a lot about what worship really is. It's more than just singing on Sundays and Wednesdays with a bunch of people or raising your hands with everybody else. There has to be a passion behind it - a passion for the things of God and most of all, glorifying His name in everything you do.

Life-Changing (The Ultimate Author)

I can't quite pinpoint a specific moment when God changed my life. There's so many encounters I've had that have molded and formed me into who I am today. Many times, God delivers people from HUGE stumbling blocks and thus changes their life, but we can't rely on just one moment to get us through the rest of our lives. Sometimes He does need to just *snap* immediately deliver people from what is really holding them back, but it's never just one moment in His presence, then "BAM!" you're perfect. We need to spend our lives seeking to change. He's CONSTANTLY transforming us so we can be used with our full effectiveness to impact the world. WE CHANGE SO WE CAN MAKE A CHANGE. I live for those moments with my King where He teaches me to open up every part of my heart to Him to transform. We have to make a choice to hand Him the pen to write our life's story. That means giving Him control of our friendships, our relationships with guys (at least for me, for guys it'd be girls, huh?), how we respond to situations, everything. When we allow Him to be the Author of our lives, we can't choose to live our lives like the world does. We hand over our rights to govern ourselves in the sin that He pulled us out of. Spend time in His presence. Allow yourself to be transformed. Only then will you be able to reach who He has set out for you to reach. He has set you apart, called you out, to live for Him. Don't falter in your unique purpose but allow those precious moments you spend with Him to impact your life in inexplicable and multi-faceted ways.

Searching

So many, teens especially, are searching. They're trying to discover who they are, their dreams and passions, and why they're here. Everyone needs a sense of purpose. They need to feel significant and valued. When you don't have God in your life, people tend to find their purpose and worth in other things. Often, they try to find it in relationships. This is truly dangerous. The more someone tries to seek approval or bases their identity on someone else, the more strained a relationship can become and it leads to heartbreak, leaving the person emptier than before. Mothering, cliques, popularity, drugs, alcohol.... all of these things are often used to try to replace God.

Mothering, for instance, is awesome. God has called parents to raise up their kids to be powerful and confident men and women of God, but we can't find our worth in that alone. I believe with all my heart that raising up a Christ-following generation is infinitely important. And as parents, you play a huge role in that. But if being the perfect mom becomes more important than that, or that's where you find your identity, not in you Heavenly Father, but in being a mom, that's not where He wants you to be.

Cliques are a huge thing for both teens and pre-teens unfortunately. When you're in this environment, it's not a healthy place to be. You lose who you really are because you're constantly trying to please other people. It becomes all about staying in the clique, because you feel like you're worthless outside of it. God wants us to have healthy, growing relationships based on Him. But when we begin to value our relationships with people above our relationship with God, we can't expect to be truly whole or fulfilled.

Popularity is very much the same. You sacrifice your values and who you really are to stay on top. Many people think this is the ideal place to be, but when you find yourself humbled in the presence of God, nothing else compares.

Drugs and alcohol. These are not so much used to replace God, but rather to drown out the pain of not having Him.

None of these things can ever compare to the wholeness and fulfillment you will find in Him. My entire identity lies in Him. I have confidence because I know who I am in Him, and I live by it. This is the best place to be - growing and maturing in Christ.

How do you feel about yourself, really?

How do you see yourself? What you believe about yourself determines how you live your life. It's so easy to see how other people see themselves, but it's so much harder to analyze yourself. Take a moment to think about it. Do you view yourself through past mistakes, or see all you have the potential to accomplish? What are your giftings? What has He called you to do? Do you see yourself as a leader? You have authority here on earth and He has given you access to His power. As Christians, we should have the greatest self-esteem and sense of self-worth of anybody. I, for one, am so tired of trying to please the world. We don't have to worry about what they think! What a refreshing concept! Our Father is the King of Kings! We are royalty. He loves us more than any of His other creations. If we truly believed all these things, our effect on the world around us would be INCREDIBLE. He has made us, each with our unique giftings and talents, to change this world. We are in a war. This is a constant battle and we will be victorious! Start seeing yourself as a victorious warrior! Because you are. He has chosen YOU to make a difference. He created you PERFECTLY. No part of you is a mistake, or ugly, or anything the devil tells you. He tries to attack your sense of who you are in Him, to render you ineffective in your calling. Don't allow Him to! Spend time finding out what God thinks of you, and see yourself as HE does. Then start living your life like you know who you are. Your life is a testimony to His goodness. People will see the confidence and the passion you have, and they'll want it. You have what other people are searching for. So many try to fill that void with unhealthy relationships or try to dull the pain with other things. They're searching. God created us to be in a deep, intimate relationship with Him. When you know who you are, God can use you to reach out to those people, and He'll give you a dream and a passion for what He's calling you to do.