Does everybody expect this of me?

I was recently out Christmas shopping. (Surprise, surprise.) And as I was out hustling and bustling all over town, I realized something that I have never realized before. In each store that I went into, I noticed how low our society's expectations of teenagers has gotten. Several times, I was treated as if I didn't care about a thing....and when I politely replied or asked a question, it was like I had slapped the person in the face. Literally, I could see in their face how surprised they were that I responded with kindness and concern! And it caused me to understand and visualize what this generation's adults think of this generation's teenagers! And in all honesty, they expected me to respond as if I didn't care, or to respond with a major attitude about it! I was almost insulted! But then...it dawned on me! That IS what today's teens act like! We crave worldliness and rebel against holiness and purity! They expect us young adults to choose the easy road instead of the hard one! They expect us to resent God, and ache for independence! No wonder they expected me to treat them like trash!
So, needless to say, I went home and I made a list...more like a questionnaire, that I truthfully anwsered.
Here it is:

• What are my expectations for myself?
• What are my parent's expectations of me?
• Am I rebelling against the hard things in my life, or am I embracing them?
• Am I rebelling against God's wish for holiness in my life, or am I fully accepting it?
• Am I yearning for purity in my life, which demands sacrifice? Or am I really wanting worldliness, which requires no self-sacrifice and supplys cheap, short-lived thrills.

And then I asked myself, which side of the table gains the Kingdom of God?

Rebelling --------or embracing?

Feeding our flesh --------or doing hard things?

Worldliness -------- or purity?

Short lived thrills --------or self sacrifice?

Why isn't this generation of young adults revolting against the low expectations set by today's twisted society?

Why is it that we nag and complain about the simple tasks set in front of us, and aren't out embracing the life that God truly called us to live?

As I wrote out this list, I thought, "Why am I rebelling against God (because that is who we are trully rebelling against) and who He has called me to be, and not embracing? Why am I feeding my flesh every chance I get, and not pressing through the temptation? Why do I seek worldliness and not purity? And why do I yearn for short-lived thrills...and not Eternity?"

As I went over and over theses things in my mind, I realized that, in our teenage years, we are predicted to do all of these things! And, most Christians see those things to be 'normal', and 'okay', most of the times even, encouraging it.

On Christmas morning, one of the presents that I excitedly received was a book by Alex and Brett Harris, titled, "Do Hard Things: A teengage rebellion against low expectations". Coincidence? I think not. I believe that God was sending me spiritual reinforcement, because(surprise. not.) I have to diligently work on all of the things listed above.

And so, in this post, I am not trying to judge you, but encourage you to take a self examination of yourself, and ask yourself the same questions that I asked myself. And whatever the anwser, see it as an opportunity, an opportunity to change.

And so,I leave you only with this: What are you going to do about it?

In Him,