Although I would love to say all Christians are wonderful people that would hardly be an accurate statement, especially when considering my own past.
I attend a church that was very up-and-coming while I was in junior high and high school. It was and still is the trendy place to go to church.
One of my church’s greatest draws is its youth program. In a town of 5,000 people, my church has almost 800 attendees, about 300 of them being children and young adults.
Although this definitely brings about wonderful things, it brings tragic and devastating things, as well.
My youth group was basically made up of cliques. Most of the cliques centered on certain groups at a certain high school, which I did not attend.
I always felt left out. I had been attending that church since I was born, and I didn’t fit in. As a result, I hardly went to youth group. When I did go, it was because I had promised my parents and myself that I would give it one more chance.
Other people felt the same way. Several teenagers left youth group because they simply didn’t fit in.
Why did this happen? I believe it was because my youth group as a whole wasn’t prioritizing things correctly.
As Christians, our priorities should more or less follow this sequence:
- God (Father, Son and Spirit)
- Other People (Family, friends, strangers)
- Work
- Self
Some people in my youth group were putting self above everything else. Their priorities were way out of whack. This mix up of priorities hurt several people, Christians and non-Christians alike.
If Christians want to be seen more positively, it won’t take some grand effort. It will just take a readjustment of priorities.
An unfortunate experience for you—and for many other teens. And you're correct. The focus should be on loving God and loving others as yourself. That way, people won't feel left out, isolated, outcast.
ReplyDeleteMike