In February of this year, our oldest son, Jordan, became a teenager. I considered this a milestone, double digits, and we had a big celebration. But being a teenager can be a very difficult time in a young person's life. How one handles the teenage years can determine the course of his/her entire life. If we mess up during those years, and we're fortunate enough to survive, we often pay the price for many, many years to come. I have heartfelt compassion for teenagers, and I ask you to consider some things that might help to handle these years.

Becoming a teenager takes young people from innocence, to adolescence, to transgression. Since Jordan entered junior high, seventh grade, I've noticed significant changes from elementary school. I find it sad to visit the junior high school and observe the differences between innocence and purity (elementary-school age) and adolescence (junior-high age). Teachers remark about the difficulty students have listening, caring, respecting authority, not talking back, or behaving appropriately. Jordan has found that, for a young Christian, "fitting in" can be very difficult. He has encountered miserable taunting, mocking, teasing, and scorn. It IS very apparent, from the way many teenagers speak and behave, that they, knowing better, willfully commit sin.

These days, Jordan finds school difficult, because he is being exposed to more and more foul language, filthy talk, rebellious attitudes, and young people who are just plain carnal. The school even promotes this attitude through some of the teachers who talk more openly than in the past, sometimes even swearing in class. Kids are no longer sheltered. Society views teenagers as "having come of age," and they certainly do know about sin. In Romans 7:9, Paul said, "For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died." Teens are not in the same category as those about whom Jesus spoke when He said, "For of such is the kingdom of heaven."

I believe many teenagers are lost because they've lost their identities. God's word refers to it as "lost in sin" and without God. The spiritual consequences of sin and alienation from God make realization of this situation urgent. Teenagers are not invincible or invulnerable to tragedy. The young might believe that life has just begun, and that they'll live forever. However, life can be very fragile, and there may not be time for "sowing wild oats." I can't believe the attitude of some parents who think it is natural for their children to participate in sinful activities (sample alcohol, party a little). Some even comment, "He's just having fun, getting it out of his system, just growing up, let him learn on his own," etc. Meanwhile, their precious teenagers are lost in sin, and their eternal souls are at risk.

Often, teenagers are without God, not knowing who they are or where they're going. That's what it means to be lost. Many flounder in search of answers. They think they must "be cool." What is cool, anyway? They leave the age of innocence, seeking guidance from sources other than God. Friends, peers, society, Hollywood stars and rock singers, all become gauges by which they measure themselves. Cool is what other kids consider cool, and many times it means "sinful." It's cool to drink, smoke, swear, dress immodestly, deceive, party, dance, etc.

How can a teenager improve the way he handles life? My advice is to know who you are and what you wish to become! Realize what has happened--that sin has entered your life and the lives of other teenagers. Determine that you do not want to live a life of sin and immorality. I appreciate level-headed teenagers, who know the harm sin brings. I appreciate the intelligence displayed in choosing not to smoke, drink, curse, etc. These teenagers control their lives. They do not wish to follow the path that leads to destruction. It's about being your own person--not allowing others to mold you into what they want you to be!

Teenagers, I appeal to you to take hold of your lives, and to avoid harm's way. Many, who have been raised by godless parents, have not been taught, and do not know the way back to God. This heightens their sense of being lost. They need to find the way home. They need guidance, a map. They need God's word and the church. Christians, they need us to show them the way to life. They need help and guidance from Jesus: "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." (John 14:6) If you are a young teenager who has already become a Christian, then help your lost peers. Have compassion on them. Jesus realized that they are like sheep without a shepherd.

How fortunate are those children who have been raised to know the Lord. Children who are raised to know the Lord, if they have received proper guidance, will not flounder and become confused. As his father, it is my duty to counsel my son. I have said to Jordan, "Son, be confident. You know who you are. You know what you are. You know how to behave. You are not lost. You are a Christian." I derive much satisfaction from knowing that my children are not wandering in sin, lost and searching for the way to live. God is their way, and God is the way for every soul He created in His image.

God's word does well when it instructs our young people to "remember their Creator in the days of their youth." By the way, God had such concern for young people that the book of Proverbs was written for them. God does not want you to have miserable lives. God does not want you to have sorrow, pain, and heartache. The Proverbs can help you avoid these types of trouble. This book's wisdom will guide you away from sin and keep you far from it. The Bible is a helpful book for young people. Do you read it? Are you looking at it to help guide your life? Read it for yourself, and see if it helps. I know it will.

Recently, a teenager was walking past my house. He walked right past me as I said, "Hi, how's it going?" This young man did not even raise his head. He kept right on walking, almost as though he were slumbering. That young man is lost. I can tell it, and you can tell it. He's a young person who does not know where to go, how to behave, what to be. He's confused. Satan doesn't care about this young man, or others like him, but God does. He wants to give him happiness and the power of a sound mind. The parable of the lost son says, "For this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found. And they began to be merry." (Luke 15:24)

I remember my teenage years, and I only wish I'd had the sense to realize just how lost and undone I was without Jesus. When I came to my senses, I obeyed the gospel, and my life was back on track. Some teenagers become so disenchanted that they actually wonder if life is worth living. Read the words of the first verse of the song, Living for Jesus: "Living for Jesus a life that is true, Striving to please Him in all that I do; Yielding allegiance, glad-hearted and free, This is the pathway of blessing for me." Please believe me when I tell you that when Christ enters your life, you know who you are--a Christian. You live for Jesus, and your life most definitely is worth living.