The Quintessence of Youth
by: mandy segura
1 Timothy 4:12"Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe."
Psalms119:9
"How can a young man keep his ways pure? By keeping it according to Your word."
Lazy. Entitled. Self-absorbed. Mischievous. Disrespectful. All things that many would associate with today's youth. In many ways, I have seen a decline in my generations' character, as well as, attitude. This subtle shift has caused many issues. Teens, in the past, have been known to be ambitious and bold, but now many teens spend more time staring an iPhone screens than pursuing a life of meaning. With the social media craze, many teens seem to find there identity, self-worth, and
confidence from the amount of followers they have and how many likes they get on Instagram. As they slouch on their couches waiting for another follow request, there is a grieving world waiting for new ideas, new inventors and creatives, and most importantly waiting for a new generation of leaders.
Leadership starts today, with us. The youth. 1st Timothy 4:12 says that we should set an example for the rest of the world in our, "speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity..." Rather than conforming to society's expectations, we should rise above the standard. The quintessence of youth should be a generation of young people using their different gifts to glorify God and help their community. We should walk according to His word and stand firm in our convictions. We should the generation the world never saw coming. Put down the phones and enjoy the people and places around you. Be ambitious. Be creative. Be adventurous. Be who God created you to be not what society expects.
