For Us 20-Somethings

We've all see these list-articles for 20-somethings going around. Basically they say things like: take this time in your 20's to be crazy, live a little, drink a lot, date around, sleep around, work hard, do nothing, travel everywhere, make bad choices while you still can, etc.

Not only are many of these lists contradictory, they are full of horrible advice. They play to the romantic heart of my generation that wants to live the Instagram/Pinterest dream of traveling the world wearing beautiful clothes while staying in the coolest hipster out-of-the-way bed and breakfasts sipping coffee from some foreign country roasted on-site by a man with a beard. And as fun as that may sound, it's not based in reality.

Okay, so if these articles are nonsense, then as 20-somethings, what should we be doing? How should we be living?

This is my response to all the noise and nonsense of these articles in light of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Before I begin my list, I want to say this, we need to stop believing the lie that our 20's are an exceptional time where we can prolong the irresponsibility of adolescence. Our 20's are certainly a time for exploring, learning and growing, but not for selfish gain.

1. Grow up. Life is hard. We can't spend a decade whining, shirking responsibility and developing irresponsible drinking habits. Let's start learning what it means to be an adult now. (Philippians 3:12-21)

Finish college. 

Get a job (2 Thessalonians 3:6-12).

Exercise (1 Timothy 4:8). 

Budget your money, pay off debts and pay your taxes (Romans 13:7).

If you drink, don't drink to drunkenness (Ephesians 5:18).

Learn how to cook and make real meals.

Do your laundry and clean your house.

Get a healthy amount of sleep. 

2. Spend time with the Lord: 

Read the Bible. (2 Timothy 3:14-17) If that seems super intimidating, or boring or you have a million other excuses as to why you are not qualified to read the Bible, read Living by the Book. It's super helpful and hopefully will give you some really practical tools to help you understand the Word and apply it to your life. As Christians, we should be steeping ourselves in the Scripture and allowing it to change us. It is the truth by which we will understand everything else, ever.

Spend time in prayer. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18) And I don't mean just telling God everything you want or how hard your day was as you're falling asleep. Spend time thanking the Lord for who He is and what He's done. Spend time with God reflecting on Him, worshipping Him. Spend time asking for forgiveness and being truly broken over your sins and repent, turn away from what you're asking for forgiveness for. Pray for others and know what's going on in the lives of your friends, pray for your family, pray that people would come to know Christ. 

Try praying out loud. Try bowing before God as you pray. It may be weird at first, but praying out loud will keep you focused on what you're saying to God. Bowing will remind you that you are laying your requests before a holy God who sits on His throne. 

Try journaling your prayers. It is so encouraging when you can go back and read your own prayers and see how the Lord answered.

3. Join a local church. (Romans 12:3-8; 1 Corinthians 12:22-31) And I don't mean just any church. Join a church where the Word is being preached, where you are being fed by the sermon. Where the pastor is actually opening the Bible every sermon not just preaching some encouraging message peppered with scripture or quotes from Nelson Mandela and C.S. Lewis. Become a member at a church where the Bible is being taught primarily book-by-book, verse-by-verse. 

Join a church where the lyrics to the worship music are theologically rich and are true, not just catchy and cool sounding. Sometimes this means going to a church that doesn't even have drums (GASP).

Join a church that is unapologetic about the Gospel. Join a church that isn't afraid to talk about sin and Jesus and His redemption.

Become a member. Promise and commit in covenant membership with the church this promise should include that you will pursue Christ, that you will love them, serve them and serve with them, that you will tithe, that you will advance the Gospel as a member of that church. 

4. Have a mentor and be friends with older church members. This one is pretty cut and dry. We're 20, and while it may feel like we know everything under the sun, we don't. There are men and women in our churches who have so much wisdom and love to impart. Seek that out. Pray with them. Seek their advice. They will be some of the best support you'll receive in your life.

5. Serve and evangelize (both locally and abroad). (Acts 1:8; Matthew 28:18-20) If you are a Christian, you hold the most precious truth in all the world. You hold the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And there are thousands dying every day without it. There are those with no hope that are perishing. Go to them and share the Good News. This is not about you getting to travel to Papua New Guinea or Uganda or Mexico or wherever. This is about the Gospel of Jesus Christ being told in all the earth. You will be changed by the experience and hopefully your heart will be broken for those who live without the Gospel. There is so much to all of this, I would encourage you to read John Piper's Let the Nations Be Glad for a look at the call for missions in the scriptures. 

6. Flee sexual immorality. (1 Corinthians 6:18) We all like to pretend like we don't understand what this phrase means because fleeing sexual immorality is difficult. But we do know what it means: Don't have sex with anyone who is not your spouse and don't push the boundaries. There is much more to this, but I'm going to leave it at that. 

7. Set an example of how others should live. (Timothy 4:12) Just because you are in your 20's doesn't mean that you have free reign to do whatever you like. People are looking to you. Those younger than you will seek to imitate you. Those who are your same age will justify their actions and lifestyles by yours. Those older than you will either respect or disrespect you based on your lifestyle. 

Wouldn't it be amazing if you could set an example for all of them? You could encourage a younger generation to pursue Christ, challenge your peers to live for Him and exceed the expectations of adults, spurring them on in the Gospel. Isn't that so much better than leading younger people astray, hurting your friends and being disregarded by those older than you?

"And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up." -Galatians 6:9, ESV

We are not going to do any or all of these things perfectly, but it is my prayer that as we grow in the truth we would apply these things to our lives. Following Christ is a constant and continual process of putting sin to death and seeking after Him. We should not delay in our obedience to Christ! For our fears and failures there is hope in Christ. For our sins and sorrows, there is one who can bear them all! Let us not forget this. Let us not seek worldly wisdom. Let us hold fast to the truth and love we have in God.