 Dear Christian Teen,
I’m sure you made some incredible memories at Christian Camp this summer. Good friends, good fun, and new experiences are all part of what camp so memorable! But there’s two things about summer camp that typically don’t last: camp romances and camp ‘decisions.’ Now that your starting up school again, chances are that girl/boy you met at camp has probably moved on, and that life-changing spiritual decision you made after the Thursday evening chapel service has moved along as well. Now you’re back in “normal life,” surrounded by your normal friends and your normal habits.
5 Comments
We use the word “love” in many different ways—from the trivial to the profound. I “love” Taco Bell, and I “love” my wife. One of those is a trivial love and the other is a profound love...and it better be clear which one is which! The real test of your love for any given person or thing is what it takes to lose that love. I love Taco Bell, but if they start using dog meat in their tacos or replace all their tortillas with lettuce wraps, I won’t love Taco Bell anymore. Why? Because I love Taco Bell for what they give me. If their food goes bad, I won’t love Taco Bell anymore—it’s a trivial love. My love for my wife should be much more profound than that. It should be deeper than any disagreement or obstacle that might come between us. In fact, my profound love for my wife should motivate me to resolve any disagreement or remove any obstacle that might hurt our relationship. If my love for my wife was like my love for Taco Bell, it wouldn’t take much to lose that love.
 (deep breath)
... I voted for Trump. There, I said it. It’s true. In 2016, I voted for Donald Trump over Hillary Clinton. And I think I’m still ‘ok’ with my decision. But this isn’t an article about how Christians should have voted in 2016 or how they should vote in the future, although that is a very controversial topic (there are different views even among the four of us here at PtP). This is an article to Christians who voted for Trump (like myself). Since Election Day, I’ve seen something troubling among Christian Trump supporters. I’m sure you’ve seen it too.  “Your skirt length is a heart problem.”
“Music with a 2-4 beat is demonic.” “Christians should never step foot in a movie theater.” Maybe you remember hearing things like this in your church. Some young Christians, when they look back on their upbringing, only remember a Christianity of “dos and donts.” They only remember their pastors preaching against rock music, clothing standards and movie theaters and the guilt they felt when they violated these commands. And the first chance they get, they flee. 
What is your spiritual gift?
If you have asked yourself this question, there’s a chance you might have tried out one of those online spiritual gift tests. Typically rating yourself on a scale of 1-5, you measure yourself against statements like, “I seek to inspire others who are facing difficulties,” “other people tend to follow me,” and “I have a burden for the lost.” But how accurate are these tests? |
Popular ArticlesThe Problem With Christian Trump Supporters
How to Have Personal Standards Without Being a Legalist The Heart of Modesty Stop Trying to Reach Millennials AuthorsLike our Facebook page to keep up with the latest articles!
Categories
All
Archives
November 2020
|
RSS Feed
