“Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it” Proverbs 22:6
NEW GENERATION Youth Education
LONGING TO LOVE AND BE LOVED: Giving Youth the Freedom to Stand Strong in the Truth
A longing is described as an unful- filled desire. Unlike the short term feeling of wanting something in the moment, it is a deep, burning need that is not easily shaken and that we are willing to go to the ends of the earth to find. Imagine going into middle schools and high schools and talking to thousands of teenag- ers whose longings have only begun to blossom. Along with the beauty of puberty, comes the reality of our deepest longing; to connect with someone in a way that didn’t exist before. As we help teens to navigate some of the most challenging yet wondrous times of their lives, we are tasked with helping them to navigate the obstacles hidden between the truth and the culture. Like cold water to the face, the truth is shocking, yet refreshing to this generation. We all long to find that one “thing” that will fill us and for teens, there is thrill in the hunt. While some teens pursue their long- ings with impulsivity, you may be sur- prised to know that many are willing to walk the narrow road if they know it will lead to ultimate fulfillment. If we tell a teen that their desire to engage in sex as a part of their relationship is a precursory longing for one of the beautiful benefits of marriage, they receive information that is no longer arbitrary, but meaningful. It helps put to death, the agonizing, seemingly endless fleshly longing that leads to sexual immorality, impurity, lust and evil desires. Their feelings become valid and not an agonizing burden to be outrun.
The teens we serve long to have adults in their lives that will guide them through the peaks and valleys of adolescence. They long for rela- tionships that model the love and se- curity they have at home or in far too many cases, long for the experience they have not had at home. The step from childhood to adolescence is unconscious to a child. They merely take what they have learned and experienced thus far and emulate it in their current relationships. Their longing to be loved and kept safe does not change, it expands into the new possibilities of how these things can be fulfilled and the culture is quick to offer solutions. We must shift our conversations to address the new relationships that they hope will fulfill their longing while at the same time help them to recognize that the desires they feel are not meant to be quenched prematurely, but honored, respected and restrained for a great- er purpose. Proverbs 22:6 says Raise up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it. New Generation Youth Education and our many partners have come along- side our youth and helped them to stay the course as they pursue the longing God has put inside them; the longing to love and be loved. Thank you for standing together with us as we strive to ensure that every student has the opportunity to one- day experience the ultimate moment of fulfillment, which is only found in Christ.
HOW WE SERVE
Engage
Engage youth through interactive discussion, thought-provoking activities, and personal stories.
Equip
Equip students with truth through the use of medically accurate, objective data, as well as practical scenarios that students can apply when they encounter unhealthy behaviors in their lives.
Empower
Empower students by affirming their intrinsic value and by focusing on a discussion of how to think rather than what to think.
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