By Mariam Bello
Consider the case of a teenage girl navigating an unplanned pregnancy, a youth expelled from university for extreme behavior, the individual who wastes large sums of money on compulsive gambling, or a person struggling with drug addiction.
What is striking is how some of these individuals find themselves repeating the same patterns that initially led to their waterloo
For individuals in these situations and many others like them, divine intervention is needed to overcome such acts. This underscores the importance of avoiding the pitfalls from the beginning. Addictions are real and can be devastating, especially when one becomes hooked on something that can destroy one’s life.
A fleeting pleasure can become a lasting habit that controls one, even when one chooses to stop.
This is why our teenagers must be protected by knowing that some things are better tried, as they can trapped and end up being messed up.
Such habits can drain the life they have been enjoying, ideas, wisdom, and beauty within them.
Imagine a person who fraudulently takes from others, yet possesses wisdom that could be used for productive ventures. Or a girl who has capacity to influence lives yet has been hooked to immoral tendencies.
The teenage age can be a challenging time, marked by impatience, vulnerability to addiction, and struggles with self-control.
The place of learning
While not all teenagers exhibit these traits, LEARNING is a crucial tool for navigating this phase and avoiding negative influences and circumstances.
There is a need to guide and protect our teenagers regarding the things they need to know. As you nurture the teenagers in your life, remember that the most essential lesson you can impart is a deep understanding of their faith and a personal relationship with God.
They need His overwhelming power in a world like this to help them navigate life correctly and do His will and good pleasure.
There is a need for them to learn how to pray, study the Bible, and be active in church. This will help them grow and win spiritual battles. Surely, staying with God is the easiest way to be an overcomer in life.
Contentment
Another lesson to learn is contentment. Consider a young woman who compromises her personal values and integrity by trading her virginity for short-term benefits that ultimately pale in significance when weighed against the broader context of her life.
Why do many join friends in fraudulent activities? Is it to pay school fees? No! In reality, they are often driven by a ‘get rich quick’ mentality, seeking shortcuts to success without hard work.
While the goal is not to have these teenagers complacent and resign to their current state, they should be taught to have the patience to navigate this phase while upholding the right values until they overcome it.
Moderation
The lesson to learn can also be as simple as moderation in dressing, you actually attract who you are and more of what you look like. The friends drawn to you start by looking at your outward appearance. In their heart, they see that they can connect with you and you can relate to their style of thinking better.
It takes people who think alike to act alike, which implies dressing alike too. Our teenagers need to understand that dressing well is not about norm but about the need to protect oneself from the wrong influences no matter where they are..
Show and teach love
There is another lesson that is not taught, but shown. Condemnation is not a teacher; it only exacerbates the situation.
So, the question is, why not show and teach these teenagers love instead? There is no need to sit in a shop with friends and gossip about a neighbor’s wayward son or daughter. A famous quote goes, ‘A child that is not embraced by the village will burn the village to feel its warmth’.
While some teenagers lack parental guidance or support, we must ensure to be the positive influence God can use to guide a child.
We should get to a point we can boldly say, ‘Not on my watch will this one go astray’. Speak with some of these individuals, and you will discover a disturbing mindset.
They believe respect, love, joy, and a good life stem solely from financial status and material possession. They assume that people’s negative reaction towards them may be because they don’t have money and therefore seek various ways to get money so as to gain validation from men.
We, therefore, must shift our approach by showing love and empathy. Even in moments of rebuke, we can create a safe and supportive environment for teenagers to grow and learn.
While everyone needs to learn and integrate these lessons, the focus today is on teenagers.
The responsibility of training a child is not solely the parents; every community member plays a role. Learning is an empowerment that never fades. You can start by sharing helpful books, tracks, and messages.
Recommend something helpful that you believe will benefit them. Have impactful talks with them and don’t be shy to correct them when they move past their boundaries. It is pointless giving a young child an expensive phone they cannot appreciate. They’ll only see the entertainment value and waste time on it.
For the teenager
To our dear teenagers, while we must acknowledge the important role leaders, mentors, teachers, and parents play in your life, ultimately, you are a product of your choices.
Certain teenagers can undergo the same rigorous training needed for their growth, yet some end up making right decisions, while others make wrong ones. The same student taught by one teacher can have different grades in class. While various factors may influence a student’s results, most often, they get the results they have due to the choices they make and this is how life is. Love yourself by making right decisions starting today..