What About Spiritual Puberty?

Poll: Only 3 Percent of Teens See Clergy as Role Models

Author Jeff Myers ("Hand Off") made a remarkable statement at NTBC last Sunday when he mentioned that his historical research seemed to indicate that most of the 12 apostles of Jesus may have been 14-18 year-old "young men,"or what we would call today teenagers.


That's a stunning revelation if true, indicating the gulf of spiritual and moral maturity that exists between youth today and in the time of Christ. Little wonder that according to a just released poll published in the Christian Post, only three out of 100 Amedrican teens are likely to say they see members of the clergy as role models. Scarcely any teens (those under age 18) view their pastors, priests, rabbis or imams as role models. Instead, many reported seeing their parents as role models (54 percent) according to the survey. Friends (13 percent), teachers or coaches (6 percent), and siblings (5 percent) also beat out clergies as role model figures. Just slightly more than one in ten (11 percent) say they don’t have any role models at all.

But the poll’s major finding is that although the overwhelming majority of teens (80 percent) believe they are ethically prepared to make moral business decisions, nearly 40 percent believe they need to “break the rules” in order to succeed. That attitude is not conducive to being one of the '12 ordinary young men' that would turn the world upside down would it? I'm pretty sure our Lord and King of the universe was not inclined to choose 'rule breakers' for disciples and future leaders. One remedy for the absence of youth leadership and spiritual growth today is the return of family-intergrated worship, discipleship and ministry. Myers was correct to point out by implication, that as per Deu. 6, Jewish tradition and classic and historic New Testament Christianity, youth were mentored, taught and discipled by mentors, teachers (Rabbis) and adults that would lead them from childhood to young ADULTHOOD.



The concept of teenager is another recent cultural phenomenon of western civilization that is foreign to scripture and biblical principles. What can we do about such poll results? Let's think about the role of youth ministers and parents today and whether or not our youth should be intentionally led to adulthood through the church or merely coddled, segregated, baby-sat and entertained, while "adults" are expected to grow in Christlikeness. If Myers was right and the Bible is true, what would Jesus do?