By Natasha Hines & Tanänia Reid
“How often do we, as a society, attempt to positively affect and intervene in the lives of our youth?” Unbeknownst to adult eyes, our youth are having a difficult time accepting and navigating their realities and relaying them to the adults meant to guide and guard them. This is especially so for school-age and teenage youth, including those who are “born again” and within the church.
Many of our young people do not have sufficient moral support and guidance in manoeuvring and coping with their sexual growing pains. As parents, guardians, and members of the church, we often shy away from this topic, leaving it in darkness, and then we look on our youths scornfully, judgmentally, condemningly, and contemptuously, as Sarah did to Hagar. In truth, many adults are really uncertain of how to manage the issue, and in communicating disapproval for our children’s calamitous decisions, we turn our backs on them when they need us the most.
While we know that indulging in premarital sex and other risky sexual behaviours is indubitably morally wrong, the church in particular must not avoid discussing the topic, even though it may be uncomfortable and difficult to talk about. Shame and hurt prevent us from addressing the issue in a way that will bring freedom and healing. However, if we don’t speak up with the aim of preventing the further spread of this practise; our silence may be detrimental and may even communicate tolerance and acceptance of this self-destructive lifestyle.
GRACIOUS CONVERSATIONS
These hidden issues must be brought to light through acknowledgement and gracious conversations.
“Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.” (Eph. 5:11)
“But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin. If we claim we have no sin,
we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.” (1 John 1:7-9 NLT)
“Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fallinto the same temptation yourself.” (Galatians 6:1 NLT)
THE PRIVATE & PUBLIC APPROACH
Parents need to also take preventative measures in the way they raise their children. At age-appropriate intervals, we must converse with them about sex and sexual desires, masturbation, homosexuality, and other sexually deviant behaviours from a Godly perspective, giving them an awareness and understanding of God’s will for sex and the whens, wheres, whys, hows, and right and wrong ways to approach it. Gaining God’s perspective on sex will aid them in developing a healthy view of this holy, beautiful, and powerful gift and stewarding it well.
Additionally, in the wisdom and fear of God, they will be cautioned and protected by the knowledge that God, who created our body and determined its functions, wants our bodies (His temple) to be cherished, valued, treated with dignity and respect, and not abused.
They will learn that God’s commands are protective and not restrictive, and that sexual immorality is self-degrading, self-disrespecting, and self-destructive, and thus grievously wrong in the sight of God.
We can also host open sessions on the topic of sexuality with our youth in both schools and churches and, within those sessions, make them aware of premarital sex and its consequences.
This requires the effort of individuals united in mind who are willing to go above and beyond in offering their time, energy, and resources to help bring about change in our households, communities, churches, and the nation at large. In this way, more information can be disseminated about the beauty of sex, the divine, protective commands regarding sex, the ‘why’ behind these commands, and how to flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness.
GOD’S PERSPECTIVE & THE POWER OF ONE
God feels strongly about engaging in sexually immoral activities because of His great love and holiness.
Sex is a divine, powerful, and beautiful creation, but it may cause great destruction if abused. Sex was created for married couples by God. Marriage is honourable, and God’s judgement will be unleashed on the sexually immoral and adulterous. (Hebrews 13:4)
It’s not our aim to cast judgement on anyone who is living a sexually immoral lifestyle and who may be sadly reaping the consequences in secret; it is to encourage others to speak the truth in love so that the sexually enslaved will be set free and saved from reaping the wages of sexual sin.
Do not underestimate the power of one voice in a family willing to disseminate truth in love to our youth. The life of one voice yielded to God, willing to speak out and to be an anointed and honoured vessel of God, is able to bring about societal change.
PREGNANCY
One of the consequences of sexual immorality and promiscuity for women is pregnancy. Whether or not you are in the church, getting pregnant as a young woman can be a hurtful, crushing, and emotionally exhausting experience. Some may even want to avoid this by committing abortion, but with the guidance of adults, filled with grace and truth as our Saviour is, our youth can be equipped to navigate this experience after and before it even happens. Abortion is murder. There are other ways to manage the life of an innocent child.
May we encourage our pregnant young girls and young fathers in the church and help them believe that God is able to do a new thing. He is always willing to grant us peace through the storms of hurt and disappointment and circumvent the judgement of others.
Obstacles that we face may initially feel overwhelming, but God always uses them to transform and rebuild. He always works our pain and mistakes for our good in the end. If we allow Him to have His way and surrender all our broken pieces to Him, He will make us whole, fulfil us in a way nothing else can, including sex, and do a new thing more glorious than we could have ever imagined.
It is up to the Children of the Living God to help the youth navigate growing pains and sex-related situations. May we stand against unGodly lifestyles of sexual immorality by sitting with our youth and talking openly with them in grace and truth.
Contact Kingdom Ambassadors Global at kingdomambassadorsja@gmail.com, 876-873-3280 or 876-329-3542.