Acing a test. Writing a book. Finishing your homework. Coordinating an event. Cooking a meal. Graduating from high school or college. Completing a good workout. Cleaning the bathroom. Finishing a Bible study workbook. Doing the dishes. Figuring out a new dance routine.
What do all of these things have in common? Think about it for a minute.
They’re all hard. Or at least, require some amount of work.
Well, I think that we (teenagers, that is) should do more hard stuff. That’s because they push us persevere in doing the next hard thing. Hard things are good for us.
But guess what: there aren’t a lot of young people doing hard things anymore. We’re not getting much encouragement from today’s culture to do things that are actually worth doing. Because doing those things is for older people with the expertise, the education, the resources, and the stubborn perseverance to do so. . . Right?
Wrong! Those people aren’t the only ones who are capable of doing hard things--you are, too! Let me give you some examples of teenagers who did.
David:
This teenager was a shepherd, a musician, and the youngest of eight sons. After three of his older brothers went to the battlefield where their people, the Israelites, were camped against their enemies, the Philistines, David’s father sent him to see how they were faring.
When he gets there, he finds out that there’s this warrior who’s been terrorizing the whole Israelite army by saying he wants a showdown in the form of a one-on-one combat with one of their fighters. This warrior, named Goliath, is over 9 feet tall, has been training since he was a teenager, is strong and rugged, and capable of crushing just about anyone. Nobody--not even the king--wants to fight him!
Well, David decided to go fight this warrior. He received criticism for his decision from his brothers, and even the king. He went to a nearby creek and picked out five smooth rocks to use with his slingshot. When he got back to camp where everyone had gathered to watch the fight, Goliath made fun of him because of his age. David told him, (1 Samuel 17:47) “All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord’s. . .” 1 Samuel 17:50 tells us this: “So David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed him.”
The Harris Brothers:
Alex & Brett Harris have both accomplished some pretty amazing things during their lifetimes. Alex graduated from Harvard’s law school magna cum laude, and was the editor for the Harvard Law Review during some of the time he was there. Brett launched The Young Writers’ Workshop, a program that provides writers with tips and resources to help members better their writing; it also boasts an active writing community. As teenagers, Alex & Brett launched The Rebelution, which seeks to influence young people to rebel against the low expectations our culture has of teenagers. They also co-wrote two books, which sold 500,000 copies in the States and was translated into fifteen languages.
Brooke & Berea:
And of course, we shouldn’t forget the founders of Eternally Minded, Brooke and Berea. Having known them both for over 8 years, I can tell you that both of them have done some pretty hard things. For example, Brooke made the transition from homeschooling to public school when she moved to Ontario. Just recently, Berea led worship with two other teen girls for a women’s conference, one she hadn’t met or been able to practice with until the night before. Together, Brooke and Berea started Eternally Minded (which I’m sure you’ve heard of if you’re reading this--bonus points for you!), a blog dedicated to encouraging young teens to live in light of eternity.
One thing that all these individuals have in common is that they’ve all gotten out there and done something hard. David conquered a giant; Alex & Brett wrote books and started The Rebelution; and Brooke & Berea started Eternally Minded. So you see, teenagers really can do hard things!
And like I said earlier, hard things are good for you. When you do hard things, you’re learning to get over whatever fears and negative attitudes that are keeping you from doing hard things; to stand up to the fears and negative attitudes that other people voice about your goals; and to keep doing hard things despite any criticism you might receive. You won’t regret having developed that stubborn perseverance when you will need it.
So . . . what kinds of hard things can you do to develop perseverance?
Well, it looks different for everyone. It could be just about anything--as long as it pushes you out of your comfort zone to do something hard.
Starting a blog. Running 5k. Starting a fundraiser. Applying for that job. Writing an article to send in to your favorite blog. Studying a full book of the Bible. Giving away a ⅓ of your clothes. Cooking dinner for a mom that needs it. Anything that pushes you to become a better person.
Don’t get me wrong, though--hard things don’t have to be big things. They can be little things, too. Sometimes little, mundane, elementary things are the hardest.
Changing that light bulb. Organizing the bookshelves. Getting off Netflix to write that assignment or color with your siblings. Cleaning out the van. Filling the dryer with the wet clothes from the washer. Taking out the garbage. Cleaning your room.
Remember--hard things are good for you.
Signing out for now,
Josie
Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity. (1 Timothy 4:12)
P.S. What hard thing(s) have you done/will you do today? Hit “Enter your comment” and tell us about it!
What do all of these things have in common? Think about it for a minute.
They’re all hard. Or at least, require some amount of work.
Why am I talking to you about hard things?
Well, I think that we (teenagers, that is) should do more hard stuff. That’s because they push us persevere in doing the next hard thing. Hard things are good for us.
But guess what: there aren’t a lot of young people doing hard things anymore. We’re not getting much encouragement from today’s culture to do things that are actually worth doing. Because doing those things is for older people with the expertise, the education, the resources, and the stubborn perseverance to do so. . . Right?
Wrong! Those people aren’t the only ones who are capable of doing hard things--you are, too! Let me give you some examples of teenagers who did.
David:
This teenager was a shepherd, a musician, and the youngest of eight sons. After three of his older brothers went to the battlefield where their people, the Israelites, were camped against their enemies, the Philistines, David’s father sent him to see how they were faring.
When he gets there, he finds out that there’s this warrior who’s been terrorizing the whole Israelite army by saying he wants a showdown in the form of a one-on-one combat with one of their fighters. This warrior, named Goliath, is over 9 feet tall, has been training since he was a teenager, is strong and rugged, and capable of crushing just about anyone. Nobody--not even the king--wants to fight him!
Well, David decided to go fight this warrior. He received criticism for his decision from his brothers, and even the king. He went to a nearby creek and picked out five smooth rocks to use with his slingshot. When he got back to camp where everyone had gathered to watch the fight, Goliath made fun of him because of his age. David told him, (1 Samuel 17:47) “All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord’s. . .” 1 Samuel 17:50 tells us this: “So David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed him.”
The Harris Brothers:
Alex & Brett Harris have both accomplished some pretty amazing things during their lifetimes. Alex graduated from Harvard’s law school magna cum laude, and was the editor for the Harvard Law Review during some of the time he was there. Brett launched The Young Writers’ Workshop, a program that provides writers with tips and resources to help members better their writing; it also boasts an active writing community. As teenagers, Alex & Brett launched The Rebelution, which seeks to influence young people to rebel against the low expectations our culture has of teenagers. They also co-wrote two books, which sold 500,000 copies in the States and was translated into fifteen languages.
Brooke & Berea:
And of course, we shouldn’t forget the founders of Eternally Minded, Brooke and Berea. Having known them both for over 8 years, I can tell you that both of them have done some pretty hard things. For example, Brooke made the transition from homeschooling to public school when she moved to Ontario. Just recently, Berea led worship with two other teen girls for a women’s conference, one she hadn’t met or been able to practice with until the night before. Together, Brooke and Berea started Eternally Minded (which I’m sure you’ve heard of if you’re reading this--bonus points for you!), a blog dedicated to encouraging young teens to live in light of eternity.
One thing that all these individuals have in common is that they’ve all gotten out there and done something hard. David conquered a giant; Alex & Brett wrote books and started The Rebelution; and Brooke & Berea started Eternally Minded. So you see, teenagers really can do hard things!
And like I said earlier, hard things are good for you. When you do hard things, you’re learning to get over whatever fears and negative attitudes that are keeping you from doing hard things; to stand up to the fears and negative attitudes that other people voice about your goals; and to keep doing hard things despite any criticism you might receive. You won’t regret having developed that stubborn perseverance when you will need it.
So . . . what kinds of hard things can you do to develop perseverance?
Well, it looks different for everyone. It could be just about anything--as long as it pushes you out of your comfort zone to do something hard.
Starting a blog. Running 5k. Starting a fundraiser. Applying for that job. Writing an article to send in to your favorite blog. Studying a full book of the Bible. Giving away a ⅓ of your clothes. Cooking dinner for a mom that needs it. Anything that pushes you to become a better person.
Don’t get me wrong, though--hard things don’t have to be big things. They can be little things, too. Sometimes little, mundane, elementary things are the hardest.
Changing that light bulb. Organizing the bookshelves. Getting off Netflix to write that assignment or color with your siblings. Cleaning out the van. Filling the dryer with the wet clothes from the washer. Taking out the garbage. Cleaning your room.
Remember--hard things are good for you.
Signing out for now,
Josie
Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity. (1 Timothy 4:12)
P.S. What hard thing(s) have you done/will you do today? Hit “Enter your comment” and tell us about it!
Todd: decide how to use the funds I'll receive from my last paycheck.
ReplyDeleteEve: waiting for God's timing regarding a move to NB.
Brooke: go to work this afternoon at 4pm....cause it's Sunday and she wants to spend time with Dad.
Justus: wake up, drive(as a newly licensed driver with mom in the back seat!