rebelling against low expectations
Doing the dishes, going shopping for an elderly church member, or tidying up a Sunday-school room. All this is serving. Serving is usually done in the hidden. Often, it is the “dirty jobs” or jobs done behind the scenes. On the surface, serving is as easy as picking up a broom and sweeping up after a meal–and yet, I so often see that many teens shrink back from taking the initiative when it...
Following Christ will cost you… are you still willing? When selling a product, we as humans like to only mention all the positive benefits. Just imagine: You want your friend to come join you on a kayaking trip. What will you tell him or her? Well, you’ll mention the wonderful scenery, of course. The lush green woods around the lake. You tell him or her that it is the ultimate experience in...
Cold stones surround me. Little light drifts in through the window, but the darkness doesn’t stop me from hearing. Nothing can block out the noise. Not even the heavy doors and firmly built walls that hold me captive. The sound increases and I wonder how many people are standing outside. There must be hundreds. My chest tightens. I know the effect a mob can have. Tilting my head, I concentrate. A...
Coronavirus. It’s going crazy. Media is flooded with it. Borders are closing. The number of deaths is rising, not to mention the thousands infected by SARS-CoV-2. Countries are closing down their schools and switching to online learning. Churches are cancelling their services. Shops are bought out. The economy is suffering. Whole regions are under quarantine. You are most probably in some way or...
What is God’s plan for my life? I believe that is a question every teen has asked him or herself. What does God want me to do? This job or that job? Should I go to college? Yes? No? What should I study? The decisions a teen has to make can seem overwhelming. In the time we are living in there are a seemingly unending amount of offers. University. Gap year. Online courses. If you think about it...
“10 easy steps to fame.” “How to make your post go viral.” “Top tips to make your name known.” Messages like this bombard us constantly. We’ve all heard how to be successful. How to make your music known. How to write and publish a bestseller. The world tells us we must be known. We must leave a mark with our name written all over it. This is the secular philosophy of our world, but it doesn’t...
Editor’s Note: The world has a very different perspective of teenagers than we do here at TheReb. Instead of expecting us to do hard things, the world has low expectations. Instead of expecting us to follow Christ, the world expects rebellion. This poem reveals both perspectives. Read it both ways to see the dramatic difference. I have no hope It would be stupid to say That my generation...
Do you give God 100%? I always thought I did . . . until I realized I didn’t. But let’s start at the beginning of my story. From Halfhearted to All In I grew up in a Christian family and gave my heart to the Lord when I was only four years old. As I grew up, I was “trained” in the “right” Christian way and always did the “right” things: I read my Bible every day, I prayed, I hardly ever missed a...
rebelling against low expectations
