14/07/2024
"...WE ARE TEENS AND TEENS DESERVES TO BE TEENS..."
So today is TEEN SOLUTION'S Day in Assemblies of God Nigeria. A day where teenagers are given opportunity to showcase their talents, learn and impact the church as directed by the leaders of their department and led by the Holy Spirit. On this occasion, as a Happy Teens day to all the teenagers, I want to share the thoughts I had on the early hours of today coming into this day's celebration.
In line with their programmes, they had so much to tell parents and guardian who they actually are and I will list out of the many they mentioned two of those that will be most relevant to this thought I'm going to share:
🎯 "We are neither children nor adults"
🎯 " We are TEENS and TEENS deserve to be TEENS"
The teens' age which is between the ages of 13 and 19 years is a middle age which are "neither children nor adults" as said in one of their declaration. This means as parents and/or guardian you should not treat them as children nor adults, but as TEENS. They will feel belittled, if treated as children and may never grow, and when seen as adults and made to do adults' things, they will make mistakes and bad decisions/choices.
Thus, treat them as teenagers which they actually are. By this, I mean you now mix elements of children's training and adults' freedom in their guidance.
At this age it is expected that you give them opportunity to make decisions while you supervise their choices. When they were children you made decisions for them. But here at this age of teens, you allow them to make decisions while you supervise. As adult you may have little or no contribution to their choices. The guidance at teenage phase of their lives and the training from childhood will be what you will trust they keep to guide them at adulthood.
Ensure you don't mistake them to be adults because they aren't. Supervise their decisions and choices and guide them from straying away from the virtue you taught them.
The teenage phase of life is a time of many life defining choices and decisions for and individual. This is because, at this time they actually choose for themselves thinking they are no longer children. And trust me the choice you make for yourself leaves you with the RESPONSIBILITY to uphold it and justifying it no matter what happens later.
My interaction with most of them over the years left me with the film believe that the teenage years are life defining. How they live as teens defines what happens later at adulthood. This is not rulling out the possibility of a life changing decision in the adult years.
I have seen so many of them who made s3xual purity decision from that age living up to that responsibility in a later stage despite the perversive world with so many teachings and influences. Many chose to devote their lives serving the Lord wherever they will be and have uphold their choices when they are older and insist on their faith in God.
A proper handling of your teens at this ages will reduce your worries when they are no longer with you. A time will come when your training while they were children and guidance at teens age will be the MAP they will need at important decision junctions of their lives.
So, today I joined the Teen Solution to call on parents and guidance to allow TEENS TO BE TEENS because they DESERVED to be so. Do not take them to be "adults" or mistake them to be "children". Supervise them and correct them with love. Teach them diligence - to work without supervision and becoming supervisors those who cannot work without supervision.
"TEENS DESERVES TO BE TEENS"💕💝🎯
HAPPY Teens day to all celebrating.
With love from,
Emmanuel Eshebi 💕💝💞
