Kids These Days

   "Kids these days are so lazy." "Kids don't know how to do anything they will need for life." "Back in my day we went outside at sunrise and were not back till sunset. We fell down and were fine." "Millennials need to have their phones. It's like their phone is another appendage." These are just a few quotes I have heard people say about kids and Millennials today.

   I have heard it all I tell you. I've heard that Millennials are lazy, don't care about issues, don't know how to have human interactions, are addicted to tech, and the list goes on and on. You know why I have heard this? First off I am a teacher... it's kind of my job to listen and talk about kids. Second I am a Millennial. I get lumped into this group of "lazy, uncaring, tech teens." And, believe it or not, I do see some of what people are saying about Millennials. But, what bugs me is when people think this is true of all Millennials, or they don't look at the good Millennials do.
   Millennials have the power to be amazing. We can impact the world more than any generation before us (that's not a knock on past generations; we will get to why we have that impact).
   Here is a list of good I have found in Millennials:

   1. We work behind the scenes. Believe it or not, some Millennials have character. Some of us don't like to be in the spotlight. We know how to work hard for something we believe in. You just don't see it... or maybe you were not looking...
   2. We use tech to better the world. What are you reading right now? A blog. This blog is probably on a computer, tablet, or phone. This blog has been alive for 3 years now. This blog has had over 7,000 views. This blog has reached people in Russia, Africa, England, the Caribbean, India, and so many more places! If just this one blog can do that imagine all the other blogs, websites, Facebook pages, Instagrams, twitters, etc. That have the power to reach the lost! It's true that this can be used for bad reasons but good can be done by using technology!
   3. We stand up for what we believe in. This can seem bad if you know we are talking about things that are against God. But, there are Christian Millennials out there. We stand up in an oppressed world and use our voice for God. Meanwhile we have older generations saying we are lazy and don't do anything for others? How do you think this makes us feel? Please stop lumping all Millennials together!
   So what's the point of all this? First off it is to make you realize you cannot lump one generation into a little box. Not everyone is like the kids you think about when you heard about Millennials. Second it is to make you see the good that Millennials can do. Finally it is to make you realize that you can have an impact on this generation.

   This generation is so used to being ragged on. That is why we get so defensive to attacks. Well, what if instead of attacking us you came alongside us? What if you chose to listen to us? I will tell you that Millennials can be some of the smartest people you may ever talk to. We have ideas and we are willing to share our ideas as long as we don't feel attacked. If we feel attacked you will still hear our ideas but in a probably not nice way.
   Also, we are looking for something to stand up for. We look for causes and are very loyal to the causes we choose. But, when we don't have people to guide us and help us with those causes we turn to bad causes. Millennials need guides. We don't need drill Sergeants  who demand that we do things, there is a difference. Guides give suggestions and then help us in the path we choose. Sergeants tell us to do things... which, to Millennials, sounds a lot like an attack.
   Bottom line: you help us and we will help you. If you are loyal to us we will be loyal to you. Rather than attacking us why don't we band together and make a real impact on the world for Jesus like we are called to do?
   So, do you lump all Millennials together? How can you help Millennials now that you know how to? Will you choose to change how you deal with the younger generation? If you are a Millennial, will you choose a cause that will make a difference? Will you be the change you want to see in the world?

   Philippians 2:4, 1 John 3:17, John 16:33

   Image found here.

Break Down the Wall

   Have you ever been hurt by someone? I'm sure that we all have. When we get hurt we have a choice. Let me tell you a story that way you can see the choices.

   Once upon a time there was a fairy named Maleficent. She fell in love with a human. The human loved her for a while but one day he was told that anyone who killed this fairy would be king. He went to her and gave her a drink that made her fall asleep. He decided not to kill her but take her wings instead.
   The fairy became queen of the forest. She put up a thorny wall all around the forest because she did not want any human to ever get in the forest again.
   When we are hurt, we have a choice.  One choice we can make is to put walls up. If we put a wall around out heart then we will never be hurt again. It would be nice to never have hurt enter our hearts but there's a problem with this. If we have a wall hurt can't get in, but love also can't get out.
   We are called to love others and be a light to the world. If we have a wall up that means we will not get to know others. We will not spread God's love to others. He lets us be a part of his story by spreading the news of the Gospel. We cannot do that if we don't get to know others, care for them, and show God's love to them.
   The story doesn't end there. In time, the king had a child. The queen of the forest came to the kingdom to interrupt the celebration of the child's birth. She put a curse on the child. The child would prick her finger on a spinning wheel on her 16th birthday and fall into a deep sleep, until true loves kiss woke her. The child was taken to the wild so that she would never see a spinning wheel.
   The fairy watched over the child to make sure that her curse would come to pass. But, as the fairy watched the child she began to love the child. She even took the child to the forest. The fairy broke her walls down to let the child in. 

   The story continues but I don't want to spoil the ending. If you didn't guess by now that is the story of Maleficent. Maleficent went from having walls up to tearing them down. She could have gotten hurt again by this child. But, it did not matter because she loved and cared for this child.
   We can choose, when we get hurt, to put walls up or to love others no matter what happens to us. We could possibly get hurt by that person again; but if we put walls up then we are not showing God's love to the world.
   Jesus never put walls up. He was hurt by many but he still showed love to those people. He died for the people who loved him AND for the people that hurt him. If we call ourselves Christians then we must follow Christ's example. We must show love to all, even to those who hurt us. Will it be easy? No. Will it be worth it? Maybe not in this lifetime; but in heaven it will be.
   So, what will you do when you get hurt? Will you choose to put walls up or to love others no matter what?

   Psalm 149:14-16, Philippians 2:4, 1 John 3:17-18
   Image found here.

I'm Fine

   When I was younger I fell into a trap. People would ask me, "how are you?" I would reply with, "I'm fine." It didn't matter if I had a fantastic day or if I had a horrible day. I always said, "I'm fine."

   When I was in college I met a friend who helped me change this answer. She asked me, "how are you?" I answered, "I'm fine." She could tell I wasn't fine and said, "you know what fine stands for? Freaked out, insecure, neurotic, and emotional." I had never heard that before. She told me it was from a movie. It got me thinking about how many people actually feel that way when they say, "I'm fine."

   More than likely you don't always feel this way when you say, "I'm fine." But, many times, people are not honest with others about how they are feeling. I think we do this for a few reasons. 1. When most people ask "How are you doing?" People don't really care, they just know it is polite to ask. 2. We don't want to bring anyone down, seem like we are complaining, we cannot tell people how we are really feeling, or we don't trust that person. You may be asking, "why does it matter when I ask this question, or how I answer it?" Please stay with me.

   When we ask: "how are you doing?" We should care about the person enough to expect them to give an honest answer. Philippians 2:4 says: "Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others." We are to care about people. Over and over in the Bible we are told to love others. We can love others by caring about them enough to ask "how are you?" And actually expect an honest answer. We also have to actively listen to the answer then, if the person wants it, give advice. We must remember that if we give advice we cannot expect the person to take it. We must care about people enough to love and listen.

   When we respond to: "how are you doing?" We must remember to be real with others. Hebrews 10:23-25 says: "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near." It is important for us to encourage one another. How can we do that if we are not real with others? I'm not saying that every time someone asks, "how are you doing?" We should say mean things about others and go on and on about all of our woes. I've said it before and I'll say it again: there is a difference between venting and complaining. Venting is healthy because you are sharing with someone who can encourage you. Complaining is when you are trying to make someone look bad by saying horrible things about them to everyone, in essence you are gossiping even if what you are saying is true.

   Are we to use discretion when we answer, "how are you doing?" Yes, we should not tell a random stranger how we are doing and we should not tell someone who is directly involved with the situation. But, we can at least answer the person honestly. If we are not doing that we'll we say, "I'm struggling." And leave it at that. If we are doing great just say, "I'm feeling great." Then maybe you can share why you are feel great to glorify God.

   So, when you ask someone "how are you doing?" Will you care about their answer? When someone asks you that question will you be real with them? Will you encourage others by helping them feel better and telling them things in your life that glorify God?

   Image from here.

God of Wrath and Love

   I have learned a lot over my lifetime. I have learned that it is not a good idea to put your hand on the stove when it's hot, learned that one the hard way. I have learned that adulting is hard; enjoy childhood while you can, children/college students. I have also learned that I don't know everything, especially when it comes to God.
   I have asked a lot of questions about God. Some I have learned the answers to, others I have not. One question I have asked is: why does God seem different in the Old Testament? He is about love in the New Testament and death in the Old, why is that? Believe it or not, after struggling with that, and after study at LBC, I have an answer.
   It is important to note before we go on that many people ask this question because of the fact that the Bible says that God doesn't change (Heb.13.8). If God doesn't change then why is Jesus all about love and acceptance?
   I'm glad you asked ;) It is true that God does not change, no matter how different he seems in the Old Testament as compared to the New Testament. However, God does change the way he deals with us. That may seem close to changing, but God's personality is still the same.
   Think of it this way: at the beginning of the world, God gave Adam and Eve one commandment. They were not to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. If they ate, the consequence would be death (Gen.2.16-17). You know the rest of the story: Adam and Eve ate of the tree and they died immediately, right? Wrong! God could have killed Adam and Eve right away because they disobeyed. Not only that, but sin entered the world then. God cannot look upon sin; therefore, God could no longer walk with Adam and Eve. God showed love to Adam and Eve by not killing them immediately.
   One part of God that I think we don't emphasize enough is that God is a God of wrath. He cannot be with anything unholy. When sin entered the world, God could have left us all alone to die; but, because of his love, he did not. He had a chosen people who were to be a light to the world: the Israelites.
   The Israelites did an amazing job at spreading the good news and everyone was saved. Ha, just making sure you are still paying attention. The Israelites were given commandments. In the end, they did not follow those commandments, continued to sin, and fell away from God. But, before that happened, they had strong Godly leaders, like Moses and Joshua, that led them in God's ways. During that time, God told Joshua every time the Israelites defeated a city that everything was to be destroyed. That meant that the gold, animals, men, women, and children were to be killed. Hold up, isn't God a loving God? Why would he make the Israelites kill everything?
   God knew that if the Israelites would keep those people alive the Israelites would fall into sin. That's great that God is taking care of His people, but why doesn't he care about those other people, the ones who were killed? God did care about those people. Israel's job was to be a light to the world. Do you think that the people in the towns the Israelites destroyed never heard of the miracles and victories the Israelites had? They did, in fact many times the cities joined with other cities to defeat the Israelites; but they were no match for God. These people in these cities were sinners, could they have repented? Would God have accepted them?
   The Bible gives us a few examples of people who joined the Israelites because they repented. In Joshua 2, we read the story about how Rahab helped the spies. After she helped them, she asked to join them because she heard of the miracles that occurred and knew God was with them. Rahab did something that the other people in Jericho did not do: she repented. She did not run from God, but ran to him and, because of that, she and her family joined the Israelites. I could go on with examples of people like Samson who turned from God but at the end turned back, Ruth who stayed with Naomi though it meant hardship, and even the whole city of Nineveh who turned from their evil ways. All of them repented and followed God. God accepted them because he is a God of love and he doesn't want any to perish. But, God cannot look on sin which is why he is also a God of wrath.
   Now you may be saying, "didn't the Israelites sin too? How could God look upon them?" The Israelites presented sacrifices to God. The only way that God could be with them is by a sacrifice of atonement that happened once each year (Lev.16 [specifically verse 34 if you don't want to read about how the sacrifice was made]). The reason why the sacrifice had to be made is because God sacrificed a lamb to make clothes for Adam and Eve. The blood of the lamb covered their sin. Sound familiar? It should because, I don't know about you but, I am so thankful that I don't have to sacrifice animals today because Jesus died for my sins. The Old Testament pointed to Jesus. The law was made to prove that we cannot make it to heaven on our own. We need Jesus to take our sin away. That's why Jesus came in and talked about love; because that's what Jesus came to share: God's love.
   So, do you realize that God is a God of love and wrath? Do you see that God has never changed? Do you believe that Jesus died as atonement for your sins?

   For more information on God being a God of wrath and love check out this blog.

   Image from here.