“There could never be a more beautiful you!
Don’t buy the lies, disguises, and hoops they make you jump through.
You were made to fill a purpose that only you could do,
so there could never be a more beautiful you.”
-Johnny Diaz
Nothing breaks my heart more than to see a teen lost; confused; and desperate on their search for self-identity. Throughout life – to some degree – we all seek to “belong” or to “fit in” with the rest of society, but it is in our childhood and our adolescence that this need is most prevalent. And while parents might hope that their teen(s) find(s) this sense of “belonging” at home, most teens look to their peers for acceptance. And in the adolescent world of teens searching, experimenting, testing boundaries, and judging others, they have a rough time trying to ‘belong.’
What are often established as the “cool” groups tend to be the teens that are socializers, athletes, those that are good-looking, or a combination of the three. Being cool also comes with certain behavior, expectations, clothing, etc. Those that do not fit the “cool” qualifications are instantly excluded from the group. Those that seek to pursue acceptance in the “cool” group try to separate themselves from those that do not meet the criteria. They try to be someone they are not. It is no wonder that so many teens feel marginalized, lost, and confused.
In extreme cases, some teens have turned to violence against others; others give up on life altogether and try to take their own; others grow up used to being excluded by others; lonely, confused, lost, homeless, etc. Some buy into the mask of belonging to the “cool” group and turn to sex, drugs, alcohol, expensive clothing, etc, just so they can belong.
Teens need to belong…
Without perspective, the prospect of “belonging” for teens can feel like nothing more than a clouded hope found only in the distant horizon of their wildest dreams. But the real and absolute truth is this; that every person is a unique, extraordinary, beautiful, talented child of God. We all belong to God. God does not turn God’s back on us; or forget us; or chastise us; or exclude us. We are never apart from God, nor are we apart from the overflowing, penetrating love God has for us! This is often times hard for teens to grasp in the midst of a cutthroat, “do or die” adolescent world where real pain felt everyday.
As the Body of Christ, we are called to love others as Jesus loves us. While sometimes our teens are told lies, and are shown elaborate disguises of what ‘belonging’ entails, it is important to let them know that “Yes they DO belong!!” “Yes, each one of them IS loved!!” And I think it can best be exemplified and modeled every time our youth come together and come home to their church family: particularly with their peers in the congregation.
This is one of the many topics the senior high have addressed this past month in Locomotion. In the coming months we will continue to have fun and learn about the AWESOME promises of God while our middle school youth continue their understanding of life as a journey.
Remember, when you’re feeling pressure to be somebody you’re not or pressured to do things you know are wrong just so you can ‘belong,’ that you already belong God. And according to God, there can never be a more beautiful you!
