Friday, 13 April 2012

THE BALANCED CHRISTIAN YOUTH

     One of the rarities of our time is a balanced Christian youth. A balanced Christian youth is hard to come by, and it is one of the major concerns of the church leaders and parents in the world today. It is unusual to find Christian youths succeeding in one aspect of life and failing in the other. God’s original plan for all Christian youth of all ages and dispensation is to be balanced in all ramifications of their lives. The plan of God for Christian youths does not entail partial attainment of success or imbalanced living. Christian youths who live below the standard of a balanced life are a concern to God, their parents, their leaders and Christendom as a whole. The church is eager to see a revival and renaissance of holistic living among the Christian youths. Living a balanced life is one challenge every Christian youth faces and seeks to attain in life. Generally, your ability to succeed in life is an output of your ability to balance the various aspects of your life.
       It is no news that many godly youths fail at an alarming rate while they are fervent in the service of God or vice-versa. For others, their domestic chores and activities is left undone while in the pursuit of academics, others are spiritually sound, academically outstanding but are lacking in social relationship with people or in managing finances. The uniqueness of a Christian youth becomes obvious if he or she successfully goes beyond the record of many and becomes balanced in all aspects of life. Reference point Christian youths have been known to be those with a balanced living.
        A balanced Christian youth is one who has not only learnt, but also practise how to effectively combine the various aspects of his life together to achieve his ultimate desire. A balanced Christian youth is one who experiences all-round success, growth, and development in all aspects of his life. He is someone that knows and actually does what is right at the right time. In short, he is a good time manager and one who lead an organised life. The balanced are known for their ability to be jack of all trade and master of all, for they possess the grace to act beyond limitations. When tomorrow’s world changers and shakers are sought, it isn’t going to be appropriate to select un-balanced Christian youth. Christian youth who have learnt to live life as a whole and not in segments have been the better for it, as they take success in their life as success is partial and incomplete and thus the balanced youths seem to stand out. The balanced Christian youth is a product of equilibrium between the spiritual, academic, social, and domestic life etc. He ensures one does not affect the other. Better still, he is a 6 O’ clock Christian youth who has been trained to balance between the spiritual and other aspects of life. Some folks are 12 O’ clock Christian youths who are pointing Heavenwards only without a concern for other aspects of life. They may succeed in spiritual terms but fail as it relates to other aspects of the life. Others are 6:30 Christian youths, who are only earthly; they excel at coupling their academics with other aspects of life leaving their spiritual. The outstanding character of the balanced youth becomes more real as he successfully and meticulously put all aspects of his life under control to achieve and attain ultimate excellence. 6 O’ clock Christian youths are the balanced ones while the 12 O’ clock and 6:30 students are un-balanced who are of concern to their leaders. Balanced Christian youths are multi-dimensional while un-balanced youths focus only on one or some aspect of their lives at the detriment of others. The balanced Christian youth paints a perfect picture of God’s eternal design for young person and this should be a propelling factor for all youths to attain holistic excellence in life at all godly cost.
     The count of a focused and firm youth with eagle eye on the fulfilment of their dreams in all areas of life may be low but this does not make it impossibility. Young people, known for their exuberance, strength, zeal and agility are mostly unbalanced in life and this has led to inconsistent and unbroken commitment to a course as they seem to be in disequilibrium and disorder sometimes in life. A youth with distinction and understanding strives daily to be balanced in his pursuit. He equally pursues his academic and the spiritual, his domestic role at home is not neglected, because of his prayer life neither is his social life shattered and battered because of his financial standing. He has come to be a circular student with all the point of his life neatly joining to form a regular shape.
      Every youth is born uniquely but not all die leaving a mark in the sand of time. Many youths depart from the world leaving it worse than they met it. The youths who can chart the course of liberty and dominion for their generation are those with balanced lives. To better the state of the world than you met it at birth; you must play your part by being balanced. A youth need be balance in his pursuit of excellence because by so doing success becomes so easy and real. Many youths see success as a mirage because of their imbalance in its pursuit. A young person who gets up early in the morning everyday and begins the day engaging in exercise will be physically fit and balanced but the neglect of quiet-time due to his routine exercise will have devastating effects on his spiritual life. An act such as the one described here will hinder true excellence in life and character. What better word suits the scenario of a youth who prays or reads the scriptures while the teacher is busy impacting knowledge but pure imbalance and misplacement of priorities? Some youths are found to be reading novels or writing school notes in church services, this is nothing but a vivid and express display of imbalanced living. For anyone to achieve the indomitable success and be exceptional in a world like ours, such a youth must be balanced. Only balanced youths can rise to the position of meaningful leadership where impact can be made in the nearest future.
      Christian youth who make influence do not wield such influence because of their skills and talents only but their ability to successfully combine various aspects of their lives together to run smoothly without problem. Balanced living endears others to you; it makes you an example and a beacon of light to be followed. The leaders of tomorrow are those who have lived balanced today. To fulfil God’s purpose for your life as a young person, you must endeavour to be balanced in life as a young person; you must endeavour to be balanced in life. David a young man after God’s heart had the record of success because of his balanced life. David a seasoned administrator was also a ready and courageous warrior and commander, a poet, a president, a father and a musician. All these he combined and executed without one affecting the one
     When weighed on the balance, a Christian youth should read balanced and not wantonness. The will of God concerning every young person is to be distinctly balanced and successful. Without setting our priorities, all our ambitions may reduce to antecedents, our benefits will reduce to bruises and then our prominence reduces to pain. God who delights in a balanced weight delights in a balanced youth. The youth must be balanced.
       Achieving a balanced state as a youth is not natural and automatic. Concerted efforts must be made to depart from the city of imbalanced living that has played you in times past to the city of balanced living. Many are bulged down under the weight of various duties and obligation and seek to run away from their responsibilities thinking this will proffer solution to the problem of imbalance in their lives. Young men have been found to evade home chosen under one pretence or the other, not knowing that such acts have negative impacts on them. Others are known for poor social interaction with the fold of Christ and this impedes the speed at which they run the Christian race. The benefit of fellowship and togetherness with the fellowship is strange to them. Life being guided by principles will yield its bent to people who religiously follow such godly principles. Living a balanced life as a Christian youth requires that you follow time tested, proven principles of living and quit past habits or behaviour inimical to the achievement of your dream. A lot of youths have been battered and bruised because they were adamant to change despite the revelation they have got about balanced living.
        The principles to desire, decision, determination, discipline and diligence cannot be over-emphasized. Desire drives a passionate youth to be up and doing with his/her academic, religious, domestic and social responsibilities. If you are not satisfied with your imbalanced living, stir up desire in you to move out of your comfort zone now. The desire to be exceptional and outstanding among millions of other Christian youths propels and inflames you with the desire. Work on your desire to achieve a balanced living. What you desire will surely be yours as you take side with God. Decisions relating to your desire must be taken. To live a balanced life, take decisions that will affect your daily activities. Satan does not fear your desires but your decisions. Knowing that your decision determines your destination in life, make positive decisions to be balanced in your spiritual, academic, physical, social, financial and domestic life.
        Determination is the doggedness and constancy needed to bring your decisions to reality. A determined youth will be balanced for he is not discouraged or ever can be. When the weight of life with its seemingly insurmountable pressure mounts on you determination and simple and being at the right place of the night time demands determination from you.
     Discipline is an inestimable jewel of balanced living. You cannot be balanced without discipline. Discipline trains you up as a soldier. It involves self-denial. Irrelevancies and time-wasting activities common to young people should be jettisoned and abandoned. Be ready to sacrifice anything to be a balanced Christian. Sleep, food, play, friends and chats need to be regulated so as to fulfil your daily duties and responsibilities without a hitch. Be a time manager. Never waste a second, for it cannot be regained. Wasted time is wasted life. Your inability to be balanced before now is not due to lack of sufficient time to get your activities done for each day. Rather, it is actually a careless misuse of your time. Henceforth, judiciously use your time and you will see yourself blossoming as a Christian youth.
      Diligence is the striving to be balanced. Make efforts to be balanced. Don’t be lackadaisical about it. Don’t relent you are a balanced Christian youth. Your spiritual should be given prompt attention as well as your academics. Engage in spiritual exercise and activities such as evangelism, prayer and serve in the church. Never neglect or dodge have chores for any reason. Be prompt in doing your class work, home work and exercise. Never procrastinate for it is dangerous. Do away with the lazy attitude and you will see yourself at the zenith because balanced youth to the glory of God.
      As a way of further help, ensure you have a priority list for each day and you adhere to it strictly as much as possible. Let God and the things of God are uppermost in your heart. Love God with all heart, soul, mind and strength. God first, others second. Your close partnership with God makes the accomplishment of each day’s duties an easy task. Your sensitivity to the spirit saves you a lot of troubles and put you on the right track for your spiritual, academic and all-round achievement. More importantly, live a day at a time. Never bring tomorrow’s duty into today’s. Endeavour to accomplish the task for each day as planned and leave no store unturned. A workable and flexible time table that is well planned and structure will help give you direction, focus and purpose. As you go along have hindsight, insight and foresight. Strike while the iron is hot.
       On a final note, your balanced living becomes contagious affecting lives around you, challenging the young and old and preserving generation. Jesus our saviour lived a balanced life in his youth days. He grew in intellectual and religious wisdom, physically and psychologically and was in good social relationship with people. He grew in intellectual wisdom above his peers. He discussed intelligently with the authorities of his days. He grew in physical stature. He was not mentally retarded or psychologically disturbed. He was in good and healthy social relationship with people and was in favour with God. He expects you to follow in His foot-steps and daily live a balanced life. Your life becomes an history in the making as you endeavour to daily live a balance life which is much possible. Christian youths who give themselves to these things will surely outsmart their mates, colleagues and peers. Christian youths who live a balanced life will have nothing to lose at the end of the day. They will be the salt and light of the earth indeed for all to see. Glory, honour and promotion await them as they daily release the grace of God upon their lives to live balanced lives.
       Divine inexhaustive blessings attach themselves supernaturally to balanced Christian youths. Ranging from answers to prayers, academic excellence, prosperity, provision, protection, success, and divine presence. God releases untold blessings to his faithful children who are balanced in life.

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