Food for Thought #34

 

I noticed in my stash of articles to check out that I had a bunch saved that could be grouped under the heading ‘advice for young people’.  Mostly pertaining to friendships and dating, preparing for marriage..with some general advice thrown in.

What you won’t find here, I should warn, are lists of 5 things to look for in a potential husband/wife.  Can I say…I haaaaate those posts.  I’ll tell you why after I pose this one simple question:  How many of you were spiritually mature, had it all together, and were a titan of the faith when you were 19-22 years of age.

Listen, I get that we want to encourage young people to look for a spouse who is a God-honoring person, someone who is Biblically like-minded and seeking to live a life for the Lord.  Those things matter.  A lot!  But it seems to me that these lists describe someone who is in their 40’s and has lived a life of faith and growth, not someone who is at the start of their path of Spiritual growth.

And there’s my 2 cents.

Here’s what I’ve been reading:

Dear Girls:  There’s something you need to know about your future husband … at For Every Mom

Why is dating a non-Christian such a big deal? … at Relevant

How not to marry a loser … at Compared to Who?

6 traits your kids need to avoid bad friendships … at Intoxicated on Life

Who is distracted by the girl wearing skintight leggings? … at Psychology Today (hint: maybe not who you’d think)

Lessons for raising daughters … at Training Keepers of the Home

Parents, take note of the spiritual practices common to kids who flourish as adults … at The Gospel Coalition

Teens & Social Media: Is Humiliation Inevitable? … at The Sparrow’s Home

Learn to fly … at Melody Beattie

And finally, this piece on intimacy offers some advice that I’d give to young people pursuing a relationship.

 

What advice would you offer to young people these days?  Maybe something you wish someone had told you (or advice you wish you’d listened to)

 

 

 

*A brief disclaimer…I found these particular articles read-worthy.  That doesn’t mean that I agree with or advocate everything on the site on which individual posts appear.