Challenges of Youths in Our Contemporary World

CHALLENGES OF YOUTHS IN A MODERN WORLD The Long populationkind modern font incline Dictionary defines spring chickenfulnessfulness as the subject or quality of being young, the period from childhood to adulthood young mint of two versedityes. A c tout ensemble witnessess is characterized by features such as youngness, restlessness, strength, independence, curiosity wager to fro wideness, vigor straightforward, wellness etc. Pope bath Paul II during his visit to Nigeria in 1982, communicate the y offhs in these legers young is the age of hope, of promise, of enthusiasm, of plans and of ideas.Youth does non indispensableness to give up in the face of difficulties Youth believes in a go bad world and is determined to do legion(predicate) rationalizeg to help pose it roughly. ROLE OF THE YOUTH IN THE realm OF GOD The spring chicken has great strength, vigour, total health etc. These features should be channelight-emitting diode towards the propagation of th e gospel. Let the children happen to me, do non hinder them, for such be declamatorys the responsibility of divinity (Lk. 1816). In the church service, the youthfulnesss consider the counterbalanceeousness of evangelizing. It is their duty to witness delivery spell to their peers and to the remotest aras where Christ has non been preached.Anthony Aja, quoting the Holy Father, Pope John Paul II wrote The Church needs your energies, your enthusiasm your youthful ideas in order to overhear out the Gospel of liveliness bottom the fabric of the society. Besides, the Pope re-emphasized the phonation that youth washbasin play in the c completely to preach the world as he ad habited them in these words. Dear young population, with the timbre of generous ego giving recognize that you atomic number 18 directly compound in the new evangelization, proclaim Christ who died for wholly. Where ar our Youths directly? Out there in wait of lay pleasure or functional for the skipper. (Ref. to the past).To be good evangelizer, witnes vilenessg moldiness be go with by good example, being analogous Christ in each(prenominal) ramification. The script recorded m whatever an(prenominal) dynamic youths worthy of emulation. Two of such youths provide be ingested in this text. They be Joseph and David. Joseph had an encounter with divinity fudge. He reverenced theology. The fear of God was in his center of attention. Portiphers kinsfolk prospered beca riding habit of the presence of Joseph. How about you? He hated sin. He successfull resisted the temptation from his masters married char. To the sin-laden married wo mankind of his master Portipha, he asked, how atomic number 50 I do this great wickedness, and sin against God? (Gen. 399).To send the wrath that might bef altogether him as a result of this great sin, he ran and fled from this great evil, sin of adultery. Godless youth would take return of this dissolute opportunity and yi eld to the temptation. It takes a heart that has been wash by the Blood of The Lamb, a youth who has undergo the buyback of the Lord Jesus Christ, a bless some iodin and Holy Ghost filled to strike such temptation. For the rule book says for the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appe bed to all in all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and secular lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this pre dis site world.Titus 211-12. David the son of Jesse, the youngest of the eight sons of Jesse, rose and drawed marvels for god right from his youth. He killed a lion, a bear and conquered the veteran warrior Goliath. He overcame the evil spirits that tormented capital of Minnesota by his anointed fingers on the tuneful instruments. He was equal to(p) to do all these exploits for God because of his personal intimacy of God and the former of the Holy Ghost that was upon him. by the youngest of Jesse sons, his fear of the lord and his soused re lationship with God, make him to do the chosen one of God. Then Samuel took the honker of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his br oppositewises, and the spirit of the Lord came mightily upon David from that day forward (1Samuel 1613). Above all learn from Jesus Christ, who from childhood went about doing the set about business, I must preach the good intelligence of the kingdom of God to the other citizens also, for I was sent for this purpose? Make yourself available for noble use. Challenges confront the Youth Today The general state of youth reveals spirituals, social and psychological c upgrades and confusion.They argon being unnatural by the effects and entrance of the society, peer groups, agnate neglect and the evil one. M all of our youths blindly embrace the dictates of the secularization of Western destination. The effects of secularism on most people have nonwithstanding make them palisade that churches should exacts the societys new directions. To t hem, if the society accept the societys new directions. To them, if the society accepts pre-marital sex, adultery, abortion, homosexuality, sex education, use of condoms, lesbianism etc. hey send wordnot go over why the church has to keep calling them sins. The youth imposes the youth state as a period of fun and freedom. However, they bequeath to recognize that this stage is important and transitory a stage amidst childhood and adulthood. Mistakes youth make at his stage in breeding could be detrimental bearing with it a supporttime consequences. For example, Youths who take to armed robbery, prostitution, dose trafficking, political thruggery, and all musical mode of violent practices carry over such unlawful activities from their youthful stage into adulthood.At adulthood they mystify a problem to themselves, the society and invariably their children who may take after them. What a wasted bread and butter In fact, they atomic number 18 unable to build a worthwhile frameation on which to rest their future. Their Gods given talent lost and life destroyed all in the name of enjoying their youths. In Pauls letter to herds grass, he admonished Timothy in these words Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue Righteous, faith, acknowledge and peace, Along with those who call on the Lord Out of a pure heart 2Tim22 The youthful stage when properly managed kitty lead to disaster.All youths should heed to Pauls admonition to timothy. Flee from all evil desires and surpass after righteous. M each of our youths are compromising with laic ideals. Compromise with the world brings corruption. It destroys the child of Gods testimony and makes his inflammation grow dim. Learn from David and Joseph, the government agency to upright living. The youth is being influenced and challenged nowadays in the keep uping areas 1. INFLUENCE OF MODERN TECHNOLOGY Modern technology had led to the invention of personal computer, the satellite, digital television re ceiver, the internet, mobile phone (GSM).These devices had in no smallish measure make the world a spherical village. However, the challenges facing our youths (Christian youth) is how to use them without abusing them. The truth is that these devices rather past being used for the publicity of knowledge which is assailable of making the world a wear out place have bring about powerful tools in the give of Satan for the perversion of morals. For example, the computer has both change and speeded up the operation in m any field of human endeavor data storage, medicine, architecture, music and broadcast industriousness.These are interactive computer software for eruditeness of virtually any subject. The mobile telephone has made communication easy. The satellite technology also has greatly eased the burden of real time global communication. The internet is a great source of information, Books encyclopedias on any subject, theses, revise, online news, libraries are now avai lable on the internet. Various school activities which were manually carried out in the past, such as purchasing of admission forms, defrayal of school fees, access to course outlines, result etc are now done online.Sources of information and different educational operations are now available on the internet. However, one must not lose megabucks of the evil associated with these devices (internet, GSM and computer). Many (including children, youth and regular elderly people) are introduced to do world of deceit, indecency, immorality crime, sexual perversions, violence and many other vices through the use of these inventions of modern technology. The computer and the internet have much damaging influence on the youth. Youths go long hours go overing digital videos (DVD) or playing violent, even bloody and monsteric computer games. slightly youths spend hours or the whole night browsing veto site on the internet thereby acquire exposed to inappropriate materials, such as ad ult and erotica because some youth get initiated into Satanism, Spiritism and other esoteric region. The TV and internet have taking over the place of the bible and prayers in a good number of homes. Youth treasure their gigantic exploration of the internet in place of practice their books and other intellectual activities. This a leading to a dramatic decline in the academic functioning of the youth and a eminent rate of unproductively of the youth in all spheres of life.Wise parents should rise up to this challenge, and set up corrective measures to give up this trend of self destruction of the youth. 2. THE FILM assiduity Many youths spend long hours watching the television denying themselves of meaningful activities that leave alone promote heathy living and advancement in life. The danger of the delineation industry today is that it present a distorted Afri depose burnish which negages godly virtues. For example, pre-marital sex is against God an abominable thing in Afri give the bounce culture, but the film industry today presents it as the norm and what must follow or be part of a relationship.Invariably, the film industry is promoting promiscuity and without restran our youth are im ringing it as the norm. Similarly, traditional idol worship and allegiance to the inconvenience which have been overtaken by Christainity is gradually being brought to light and encourage by the film producers. What about movies reign with violent operations?. This negates God peaceful co- existence among men. Parents must thus rise up to control what their children watch on the television. 3. NEGLECING OF HARD WORK Many youths want to go the easy way of life. No work but wants to be rich.They wish for success in life without paying the price of diligence. You need to ascertain the coutless number of youths at the cyber cafe, browsing the internet feel for innocent preys to devour of thir hard earn money. more or less Pentecostal pastors are not remaining out in the craze for prosperity through miracle galore(postnominal) at the expense of diligent labour. 4. SEARCH FOR GREENER stray Many youths rivulet the risk of searching for vile means to go out of this country for better life. Experiences of those who attempted leaving this country reveal the twinge many had to go though traveling through waste kill to cross over to their promised land.In the process many had lost their lives and their aesthesis of value of life. Those who made it to their dreamed land are out their doing menial jobs and worst still are out into crimes of various degrees. 5. Domestic Problems Many youth are confronted with Domestic problems ranging from hostility from parents, strife between their fathers and mothers, parents softness to provide the basic necessities of life. Youths from such homes run forward from home, get involved in all forms of crimes such as 419, armed robbery, thuggery, prostitution or hired assassions.Parents should wake up to th eir responsibilities and make sustainable plans for their children. 6. INDECENT DRESSING AMONG YOUTHS We have been wonderfully made by God. Praise the Lord Let us trace our dressing to the Garden of Eden. When Adam and even sinned against God, they realized that they are naked. They sewed fig leaves unneurotic to make themselves aprons (Gen37). This covered only a part of their bodies. This is fact was not proper clothing and so the Lord God made for Adam and his wife garments of skins and clothed them. This implies that the lord God covered their nakedness. in that respectfore, any clothing that does not cover the remains fully is an indecent cloth. Let us also consider the demoniac in St. Lukes gospel Chapter 8 26-35). The demon possessed man was naked. The bible exposit him as a man from the city who had demon for a long time he had timid no turn, and lived not in a stand but among tombs. With encounter with Christ Jesus, he was delivered from the swarm of evil spirit, he was clothed and he was in his right top dog (Luke 835). This implies that only people who are not in their right mind would go about without clothes not big enough to cover their nakedness.The modern day christains especially youths are without estrain imbiding and embracing worldly principles, values, culture and springer without making refence to the word of God. The bible says Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man passions the world, the love of the father is not in him. For all that is inworld, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the self-esteem of life is not of the father, but is of the world. I John215. Unholy attitudes or worldliness has become the culture of the church. Some church members tell you what you wear does not matte, after all religion is in the heart.However, they allow that there is a link between the state of mans heart and the outward appearance. In fact, ones outlook is greatly influenced by the conditio n of the heart. It is not uncommon today to celebrate different kinds of immodest and indecent dressed wasted by the majority of young people and some older people in the society, even in the church of God. These ladies wear transparent and ashes hugged clothes under the guise of fashion and civilization. In fact, you see girls of cheap and easy virtue wearing incitive or seductive apparels that partially expose elegant reas of their bodies such as breast, navels, abdomen and thighs, such youth are not left out in their heavy make-ups. Their make-ups are so excessive and contortionate that the girls are not less than masquerades and cannot but be mistaken for prostitutes. Why would a Christain woman or lady imitate Jezbel? When Jehu came to Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it and she painted her eyes, and change her head and looked out of the window 2King930. Some ladies dress in such way that they stimulate prurient desires in men. The harlot dresses shamefully only to advertise, comete and take in the opposite sex.They wear revealing clothes which constitute in men some immoral desires. Mini-skirts are symbolic of those ladies who want to seduce men. Every mini-skirt is a fuel that sets the mind of a man to speak out the most de found thoughts. On the other hand, ladies who are seductively dressed are to a greater extent potential to be harassed by men. In the veridical sense, a lady who is immodestly dressed is plainly adverstising herself, telling the male folk that she is available. No wonder, today that the rate at which women are raped is super alarming. The men folk are not left out of this craze for fashion.They fry their hair (jerry curls or perm0, weave their hair, wear earring, leave their shirits unbuttoned, exposing their beareded chest, have funny story styles of hair cut, assume make up adept to prove themselves as senior guys. 7. Sexual criminality/ adultery Many youths do not see sextual immorality/formation as sin. They see it as a way of expressing their love to a person of the opposite sex. In popular advert which says if you love me prove it by making love to me Fornication is the sexual relationship between unmarried persons.God condemns fornication Do you not know that your body is a temple of he Holy spirit, who is in you whom you have received from god? You are not your own, you were received with a price. Therefore, honour god with your body (1cor 619-20) Anyone who destroy the temple of the Holy spirit which you are will face wrath of God. The bible says you are Gods temple, anyone who defiles that temple, God will destroy. Some youth who engage in fornication (pre-marital sex) tell you they are in search of happiness, pre-marital sex has brought shame, disgrace and to many, unfulfilled destiny and previous(p) death.According to Ibid Pre-marital sex has many adverse effects surrounding it. By so doing expose themselves to many risks such as pregnancy, abortion, death, death, veneral disease, fear, shame, disrespect, sterility, uncompleted career are grievous sins against God, your creator. These are what we risk ourselves for, Just a mere pleasure which does not last. Similarly, punch newspaper publisher had on one of its publication pointed out that pregnancy is just one of the ways one can reap on unpleasant harvest from fornication It is better to avoid pre-marital sex. 8. Wild opposition Youths, no doubt are very ambitious. macrocosm ambitious itself should be commended. But when the ambition becomes obnoxious, handle signals are elayed. It is not uncommon today to baring youhs engage in all manner of immoral activities that are opposed to Christain virtues in a bid to acquire great wealth, fame and success. They are usually recruited as political thugs, fake drug peddlers, armed robbers, guarantor takers, murderers, assassins while others become cultists, prostitutes and so on. Some become involved in dubious and undefiled business. The bible tells us to flee fro m all appearance of evil. whatsoever you do, do all to the glory of God.Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are good report if there be any virtue and if there be any paise, think on these thing (1 Cor1031. Phil 48) Do not get involved in any activity that is unconnected to the tenents of God. Anything contrary leads to hellfire. 9. Peer aggroup Influence Many Youth have been led astray by those they regard as friends. The influences of peers can bring about a positive or a negative change in ones life. But today, such influences have been found to destroy the lives of those who keep had company.Thomas Martin as inform by Stan Ilo had this to say What can be to a greater extent dangerous to youth than bad company what more fatal to all moral rectitude and touch than influence of bad example. Bad company ruins good moral. It will be highly recommended youths can be involved in authentic frien dship. John Chidi once classified friendship into 3 1. Friendship based on unity 2. Friendship based on Sexual pleasure 3. Good griendship Youth should be encouraged to get involved in good friendship I =n which a man and a woman can be close friends without any sexual intercourse whatsoever. 0 support Language, noisy Music, Obscene Dance, pornography Music is an antediluvian patriarch means with which Gods people adored, rattling(a) His Holy name and praised his majesty. This is still Gods expectation from us today. However, Christain music of today has fictional a new dimension from what obtains in the bible. almost Christain music today are emotional, sensual and noisy. The musical instrument sound than the wordings as obtained in worldly music. Such songs do not give any inspiration, and it lacks modesty and moderation. So also is the obscene trip the light fantastic toe that accompanies the music.Flee from such music and from every apprearance of evil. 11. UNEMPLOYMENT T here is a high rate of employment in this country. Many youths who had managed to go through thick and thin to obtain a university degree or other degrees are out there on the streets roaming about in search of anything to do for living. His has been the concern of both youths and their parents. Many parents have lost inetrest in commit into education of their children. This has increased the number of youths without any ball education or vovational training.One sees them in high dense areas/cities milling around motor parks, marj=ket places, in hide outs, practically doing nothing meaningful. Their daily existence depend on how much they can steal, extort from people or just waste away. Some engage in menial jobs that can only take care of them, while others become preys in the hand of evil men who take advantage of them by providing debase jpbs such as drug trafficking, prostitution. The self employed are faced with problems of generating power for tjose whose jobs require elec tricity. The question is, for how long then can we watch the leaders of tomorrow waste away.We all must rise up to this challenge and urge corruption, injustice that have premeated into the whims and caprices of this nation. 12. Marriage Many youths today are faced with the problem of getting a wife or a husband. This could be attributed to a number of factors such as parental influence or control, self, sin and the devil. Youths becomes so obsessed with their inability to be married that they now abadom God. To every man there is a wife and to every woman there is a man. Therefore wait on the Lord, and He will provide. THE WAY FORWARDIn handling the problem of our youth and the difficulties confronting them in this reprobate generation, parents, churches, society and the youth themselves have specific roles they must perform to bring sanity to our world. Let us reflet on the role of the youth themselves. The youth who desires life and the fruits of happy life must desire God and accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour. Seek first the kingdom of God and all its righteous and all other things will be added unto you (Matt. 633). To the youth who had turn away from the Lord, I say come back with a penitent heart and the Lord will receive and have you back as his own.Repentance involves a) Admitting your weakness, being sombre for your weakness b) Renouncing your weakness The Lord tell us in Issaiah, come now let us reason together, says the Lord through your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow. though they are red like crimson, they shall become loke sheepskin (Is. 118) Go for sacramental reconciliation. Having regained your relationship with God, He wants you to live a spotless life even in this era of godlessness. You are to stay incorrupt and unperturbed in the constantly changing world where you dwell.The unchanging God will substain you, for he has tell. For I am the Lord, I change not (Malachi 36). This implies that Gods children h ave no still to allow themselves to be swayed by the rapidly changing world around them. What is expected of the youth therefore according to the word of God is outlined as follows 1. The youth must treasure the unaltered word of God in his heart, life and mouth, civilization or no civilization. 2. He must constantly and diligently with prayer guard his soul so that he is not overtaken bythe whirlwind of globalization and modernization. . Must be headstrong to live a holy life. This involves daring to be different with a resolution not to look back. 4. Depend on the grace of God. Paul tells the Ephesians, for it is by Grace you have been saved through religion and this is not from your selves, it is a gift of God (Eph 28) In the sane vein, Jesus tells us in Jn1516 not to rely on our own strength but yo abide on the Vine 5. take up the Holy spirit, the sanctifying power of God into your life. It is the spirit that gives life. In all thid fullness, live in the spirit.So I say, liv e by the Spirit and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires swhich is contrary to the spirit and the spirit which is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that do not do what you want (Gal516-17) 6. Associate with thos who love and fear God. Meditate on the passage Do not be yoked together with unworshipers. For what do accountability and wickness have in common? Or what crime syndicate can light have with darkness? What unity is there between Christ and Belial? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?What balance is there between the temple of God and Idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said I will live with them and walk amongthem, and I will be their God, and they will be my people 7. Plunge into unlimited opportunities The Lord urges us to dump ourselves into unlimited opportunities that he has set us. Like Joshua, He was to be strong, courageous and to obser ve the word of God. Joshua did as God commanded and he prospered. Today God is verbalise to us that he has given us great opportunities to succeed in life and have all our needs met.However, many go through life dejected, defeated, defrauded, dominated and at the end doomed. you are a child of God. For success to come your way, start now. Do not be idle. You can still go back to school and get education you can re-write your papers and improve on them. Are you unemployed, apply to place no matter how little, or you can create a job yourself. You need not suffer, the sky is the limit. Finally, do not stay away from sacraments (Eucharist and the Sacrament of Reconciliation). Heaven is real. What shall it profit a man if he gains the whole world and suffer the expiration of soul.