It's About Time We Changed The World

My head is spinning right now. I just figured out something beyond amazing. It definitely changed my day and my way of thinking. It's probably too early to tell, but I think it changed my life. I just hope and pray that I can hold on to this idea and it doesn't just fall to the back of my head like the information I've obtained from so many other sermons and devotions and bible studies. But here, I'll start at the beginning.

I biked to the Christian Book Store with my mom today! Yay! I was looking for a replacement for a P.U.S.H. bracelet that I lost while whitewater rafting a few weeks ago (P.U.S.H. stands for Pray Until Something Happens). Well, they didn't have any in stock. Actually they may have quit making them! Sad face! :( But that's irrelevant, because after I had given up looking at bracelets and stickers, I went over to the teen books and began browsing. On the third shelf down, wedged between a stack of devotionals and something about Christian dating, was a book that really caught my attention. It was called "Do Hard Things" by Alex and Brett Harris. Such a random title. Simple in theory, but it drew me in because I struggle with just that- doing difficult things, finding motivation, wanting to reach people but not knowing how. I read a little of the authors' bios and the back cover, and was shocked to see that Alex and Brett were only 18 years old when they wrote this book! I've never heard of a couple of teenagers being published (and getting Chuck Norris to write the forward for their book!!!). Basically, I had to leave without buying the book because I didn't bring along enough money-grrr-but it said in the bio that these guys had a blog and I had written down the website, so I figured I'd check it out at home. This is what I discovered:

Alex and Brett figured out something that's been hidden by our society for years. Young people, also called teenagers, are truly adults. We're capable of making an impact, working, coming up with new ideas, and fufilling responsibility. Their whole ministry- The Rebelution- is centered around rising above the low expectations that our communities have set for us. Breaking free of the typical behavior of a teen, getting out there, and doing something with what you've been given! So now here's what this means for me:

I can quit feeling like I need to take advantage of summer by sleeping until 3, watching reruns for 5 hours, then relaxing with friends. Every. Single. Day. Until now, my view was that if I wasn't as lazy and unproductive as possible during this time, I'd be wasting my summer and my teenage years. I thought that I should be avoiding responsibility as much as possible while I still can, until the moment when I'm forced to be an adult. That's what I told myself, but it wasn't really working for me. I mean, we all need a break sometimes, but that's why God created night, isn't it?? I have this desire to do more with my time that doesn't correspond with the lifestyle of the American teenager. I now know that there's really nothing that can stop me from impacting the world, TODAY. God's big plan for me doesn't have to wait until I'm an adult, and it doesn't have to involve me being an average teenager. So now I am psyched to start living my life! No more waiting around to turn 18 or 21 or whatever the age is when "young people" turn into "real people." I am mature enough, I am blessed, and I won't be missing anything by skipping out on some couch time this summer :) God didn't put us on this Earth to relax until we graduate from college. "Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." That is our calling, and there's no age restriction. In fact, Paul told Timothy, "Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith, and in purity." So let's get out there and be different, RISE ABOVE EXPECTATIONS and be a light to the world!

Um... There may be more posts on this topic after I've actually read Alex and Brett's book ;) tehehe.

Check out www.therebelution.com and Alex and Brett's video series, "The Fabulous Life of a Teenager" which is available on the website. Their books include "Do Hard Things" and "Start Here."

Oh, and I just looked at their site again and saw that one of the verses I just quoted is their "theme verse" if you want to call it that. So I will retype it for emphasis :D

1 Timothy 4:12
Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith, and in purity.