Wow, did I get your attention? I really don’t despise anyone. And I especially have a heart for young people. I think they have been set up. Often by the folks who claim to love them. But I do despise the plans of the enemy and I truly believe this whole teenager sub-culture movement that has taken hold in America is from the enemy (satan). Now if you are reading this and thinking I must be very narrow minded I will tell you that you are right. The ways of the Lord are a very narrow path and until we think within those boundaries we will never succeed. Yes He has boundaries, yes He has rules, yes His way is the ONLY way. I probably just lost most readers right there. But if you remain I aim to show you something that could change your life, and that of those around you.

First the history – the word "teenager" wasn’t even a word until after WWII , that is the second world war. We will come back to this point.

The connotations of the word – The word "teenager" is symbolic of rebellion, foolishness, identity crisis, loud music, reckless behavior, fast driving, sometimes criminal behavior, laziness, extreme social needs, drugs (even the legal ones called energy drinks) alcohol, premarital sex and so on. It is also associated with suicide. In the last few years it gas gotten worse, homosexuality and homicide and abortion can now be added, as well as self-mutilation, nearly every teenager knows someone who is homosexual and someone who has been killed, or has killed, or look like they tried.

Some statistics from the About.com page on teens here is the link http://parentingteens.about.com/cs/familylife/a/statistics.htm

Alarming Stats

In the next twenty four hours, 1,439 Teens will attempt suicide.
from Teen Help.

A 1995 study by Children Now and Kaiser Permanente found 40% of teen women know someone who was in an abusive relationship.
from Teen Dating Violence

In the next twenty four hours, 2,795 Teenage girls will become pregnant.
from Teen Help.

Comparing 1986 and 1992, murders by all age groups were up 2 percent overall nationwide, but murders by juveniles 16 and under during the same period were up 96 percent.
from Violent Crimes by Pre-Teens Increasing

Suicide is the third leading cause of death for 15 – to – 24 years old, and the sixth leading cause of death for 5 – to – 14 year old.
From Facts for Families.

In the next twenty four hours, 15,006 Teens will use drugs for the first time.
from Teen Help.

Every 4 minutes a youth is arrested for an alcohol related crime.
From Crime Time by Safe Place.

Sexual abuse was reported up to 80,000 times in 1995.
From Facts for Families.

In the next twenty four hours, 3,506 Teens will run away.
from Teen Help.

Every 2 hours a youth is murdered.
From Crime Time by Safe Place.

Comparing 1986 and 1992, rape by all age groups were up 7 percent overall nationwide, but rapes by juveniles 16 and under during the same period were up 14 percent.
from Violent Crimes by Pre-Teens Increasing

"While the crime rate for adults has decreased in recent years, the juvenile crime rate has grown alarmingly. The homicide rate among 18 to 24 years old increased 65% and the rate for 14 to 17 year-old increased 165%."
From BIDEN WARNS OF RISING TIDE OF YOUTH VIOLENCE

In a recent Australian study of 1,500 gay and lesbian adolescents, 80% had not told their parents of their same sex attraction. Studies over the past 7 years have indicated that 25% to 40% of young lesbians and gays have attempted suicide.
From "Here For Life" Youth Sexuality Project

Every 7 minutes a youth is arrested for a drug crime.
From Crime Time by Safe Place.

Those are probably not even up to date. If you really want to find out what today’s teenagers are all about spend some time on MySpace . It will either make you want to cry or throw up, probably both.

And yet whose fault is it? Ours. yep, as a society, as parents, and especially as believers called Christians. This is all a plan of the enemy and we have played right along. We try to raise our children up with some morals and then when they hit 13 or 14  we curse them with the word "teenager". We lose all expectations of them behaving decent. We let them "hang out" with anyone and everyone. We turn our heads and chalk it all up to, "well, ha ha, that is what teenagers do." 15 year old Susie is pregnant, Joey is in the slammer for shooting some guy in a fight, Eddy is going out with Freddy, and Mr… smith just lost his son to suicide. But that is normal we say because they are teenagers and well that is how they are. And that is just in the youth group. It gets much worse in the public school system.  We turn our heads and look the other way and throw our arms up in the air and say, "they will grow out of it." They might, if they live long enough. But many won’t. And if they do there will be scars. Our identity has to be in Jesus not in our age group, or we will fail.

Why oh why do so many parents try to do the right thing and then give up when it matters most.

So back to history. When did the word become common? Right after world war 2. Right about the same time good ole Margaret Sanger buddied up with Hitler and then her anti-baby movement started. Right about the time we started trying to PREVENT what God calls blessings. Now tell me what parent wouldn’t want to prevent a headache like the typical American teenager? Who wants to raise a child only to have them become so hopeless and helpless they take their own life, while the world calls it normal? We are cursing their lives when we call them teenagers.

OUR YOUNG PEOPLE DO NOT HAVE TO BE TEENAGERS! They can be Godly young people. They can remain virgins until marriage, they can have morals, they can remain pure in heart, they can stay focused, they can get through life without experiencing the world. And they can actually talk without using a bunch of substitute cuss words. It is possible, but we have a responsibility to believe that God is really who He says He is and that the whole teenage sub-culture is NOT THE REAL THING. It is not normal, not acceptable, and we do not have to "live with it."

Peace is the real thing, peace that comes from Jesus, and it ours for the asking, no matter what our age.

Bless your children and you will see them as a blessing in return.

disclaimer…. names used above were only examples and not intentional toward anyone, I purposely used names that I DON’T know of

disclaimer 2 … young people involved in things the bible calls an abomination are still LOVED BY GOD, but they will rarely be able to fully understand that love in their present circumstances