Wisdom for the Real World
By Rob Pue

Just like every year, this past spring, thousands of teens all across Wisconsin achieved the status of high school graduate. Following the formal commencement ceremonies, family and friends gathered to celebrate this milestone in the life of their young person. It’s a wonderful time of looking back with awe and wonder at how they have grown, and asking the question, “where did the time go?”

But I am always amazed at the number of parents who consider this “rite of passage,” or the “prestigious” 18 year-old birthday, as a time to finally allow their teen to cut loose, go wild and “learn to drink” (or worse). Even though the legal drinking age in Wisconsin is still 21, I suspect many of the graduation parties around the state included alcohol consumption by many minors, sanctioned - and served - by the parents. In fact, just down the street and around the corner from our house, one family celebrated their child’s graduation with a full-blown “beer tent,” with the huge beer distributor’s truck parked right in their front yard. What a “wonderful” example to set as their precious child enters adulthood!

It is as if graduating from high school, or turning 18, suddenly gives one the right to be irresponsible. In fact, it is almost expected that once a teen graduates or hits that magic age of 18, they’re now old enough for sex, drugs, rock & roll -- and here in Wisconsin -- the “wonderful” privilege of getting stinking, falling-down drunk and acting like a fool. Rather than aspiring to and encouraging the higher things of life, some feel the need to teach their kids it’s now suddenly ok to make bad choices as they enter adulthood. This is a terribly dangerous precedent to set, and all too often sets the young people up for many bitter failures, rather than establishing a firm foundation on which to build a successful life as an adult. So parents, I urge you: expect more from your kids. Encourage and teach excellence; don’t condone irresponsibility and simply say “they have to learn to make their own mistakes.” No... to the best of your ability, expect and demand excellence. Don’t settle for the easy way, the broad road, but rather expect them to strive to accomplish the “hard” things, obtained only through the narrow gate.

Young people, pay attention. Do you want to be successful? Do you want to have a good name and a good reputation? Do you want your parents to be proud of you? Do you want those younger than you to look up to you and see you as a shining example of a responsible, well-rounded young man or woman? Do you want to be an ADULT? Look around you. Responsible, well-rounded ADULTS are not drinkers and do not frequent bars or night clubs. Nor are they pot or cigarette smokers, nor do they have sex out of wedlock, nor do they swear or make crude jokes or use the Lord’s name in vain. Nor do they fill their minds with trashy pornography or lewd, crude “entertainment” - from music to video games to television and movies. Nor do they get tattoos or punch holes up and down their bodies with pagan “piercings.” Nor do responsible, respectable men have long, unkempt hair; nor do respectable adults of either gender wear suggestive, vulgar T Shirts or trashy clothing covered in skulls or other symbols of death that are so popular today. Nor do they squander their money on things that “tear down” rather than build up. Nor do they ring up huge debts that will take them years to pay off - or force them into bankruptcy.

Again, look around you. Contrary to what many of your peers are doing, if you desire to be a responsible, well-rounded adult, you INTENTIONALLY avoid these things, and instead INTENTIONALLY CHOOSE the narrow path of doing what you know to be right -- you KNOW what is right, because your God-given conscience tells you, and if you truly are a Christian and have the Holy Spirit residing within you, you CAN’T do such ungodly things without it pricking your soul and convicting your heart.

This does not mean that you will miss out on all the “fun” the world has to offer as your “friends” rush headlong into evil and folly. It means you will “miss out” on all the heartache, pain, disappointment, regrets and mistakes that worldly, carnal living has to offer. Yes, such a concept is counter-cultural and you may be looked upon as “different” -- but after all, don’t you “pride” yourself on being “your own person?” Well, being “your own person” would mean a lot more if you stood up for the values that your Christian parents raised you with, rather than following the crowd. Following the crowd does not make you your own person! It makes you just another insignificant speck in the massive crowd heading down the broad road to destruction (Read Matthew 7:13-14).

Thousands of young people, raised in Christian homes, who have been taught and who have memorized the Scriptures will be heading off to college in just a few short weeks -- or perhaps they have opted to enter the work force directly out of high school and are already part of the “Real World.” Young people, while this is a great, exciting and new time for you, please understand the toll this will be taking on your dear old Mom and Dad, who have given birth to you, raised and nurtured you lovingly all these many years, and who have brought you up to know right and wrong, to choose wisely, to choose wisdom, to love the Lord and learn to grow your faith in a personal way. As parents, we are now forced - reluctantly - to “let go.” As a father myself, it is very sad and hard to let go in this way. Because as parents we know the dangers and snares that lurk around every corner out there in the real world (because we’ve already dealt with them ourselves), baiting you with dangerous hooks, where one poor choice can change your life forever. Yes. This is the “Real World,” and now you need to make your own choices as you begin to experience freedom like never before.

But with freedom, comes responsibility. Many of you, for the first time, will be forced to budget your resources and finances. You’ll get opportunities for credit cards and student loans. Be careful! The borrower is servant to the lender (Proverbs 22:7).

You’ll be meeting new people and choosing a new circle of friends. You can choose godly friends who will encourage and support your walk with God, or you can choose the rough crowd, the smokers, drinkers, partiers...losers. Maintain your dignity. Walk uprightly! (Isaiah 57:2). Proverbs 1:10 says, “My son, if sinners entice you, don’t be persuaded.”

Undoubtedly, you will find yourself in times of loneliness, and long for a boyfriend or girlfriend. GUARD your hearts. You’ll be faced with the decision of whether to remain pure for your future husband or wife, or to engage in premarital sex. Flee from lust and sexual temptation. (1 Corinthians 6:18).

Above all, while it will most certainly NOT be the “norm,” I urge you to connect with a local Bible-believing, Bible-teaching church. Avoid the “seeker friendly” churches that lure you in with pizza parties, coffee and donuts, “Christian heavy metal” music, and preach only about a God of love, and a “religion” where nothing is required of you. MARK MY WORDS HERE: if your heart is not convicted of sin, and a burning desire to know the Lord and learn to love Him more is not growing in you, most likely you are in an apostate church. Move on. But find one that challenges you, teaches you, has a genuine REVERENCE and RESPECT for God (not a casual, anything goes atmosphere) and offers a fellowship of believers that will help provide a support network to help make choosing wisely easier.

And my best advice: stay in the Word. It’s been said a million times, but it remains true: you cannot go very long without food and drink or you will die physically. Likewise, you cannot go long without the spiritual “bread” of God’s Word or you will die spiritually. Immerse yourself in the teachings of Christ, found in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John; and spend time daily reading the sayings of the world’s wisest man, Solomon, found in Proverbs. The book of James will also be a great encouragement and faith-builder for you.

I love the words of Proverbs 3: “My son, don’t forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commands; for they will bring you many days, a full life and well-being. Never let loyalty and faithfulness leave you. Tie them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will find favor and high regard in the sight of God and man.” (Proverbs 3: 1-4).

Perhaps my favorite verse of the Bible is next: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths.” (Proverbs 3: 5, 6). What more can I - or anyone - say? If you take nothing else with you as you enter the Real World or head off to college, take with you Proverbs 3: 5 & 6 and take it to heart and follow that advice!

Young people often feel they are invincible, and often they feel their parents and those older than them “just don’t understand,” or are not “with it.” But God’s Word continues and addresses that too: “Don’t consider yourself to be wise; fear the LORD and turn away from evil. This will be healing for your body and strengthening for your bones.” (Proverbs 3: 7 - 8). Don’t despise the instruction, advice and correction of your parents either: SEEK OUT their advice. Remember, they have done all these things before you. They know a little something about the Real World!

I have only quoted 8 verses of one book of the Bible here and yet the wisdom contained is infinite. So please, please, young people -- take this advice to heart. Don’t follow the ways of the world or fall into the snares and traps of a treacherous, lecherous world, but follow the higher paths of truth, honesty and righteousness, and you will establish your life on a firm and godly foundation and you’ll find yourself blessed beyond measure, rather than filled with bitter loss and regret. Follow the one true God who loves you and draw near to Him. His word says that anyone who sincerely seeks Him will find Him and such a seeker will be infinitely blessed.

You are now at a turning point. You can go one way or the other. Jesus said, “Everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them will be like a sensible man who built his house on the rock. The rain fell, the rivers rose and the winds blew and pounded that house. Yet it didn’t collapse, because its foundation was on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of Mine and doesn’t act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. The rain fell, the rivers rose, the winds blew and pounded that house and it collapsed. And its collapse was great!" (Matthew 7:24-27).

Young people, there is no doubt about it: in the Real World, the rain WILL fall, the rivers WILL rise, the winds WILL pound YOUR house. I don’t mean to scare you, but it is true. If you come from a home with godly parents, they have taught you all they can and given you all the wisdom, knowledge and advice possible to set you off on a successful, godly life. But ultimately, YOU must make their faith your own. YOU must go through all these things; it is inevitable. The Real World is rough. But with God all things are possible and He has promised to never leave or forsake us, even though we must weather the storm, if we establish our house on the Rock of Christ Jesus, we have nothing to fear. He’s only a prayer away, and His holy angels wait anxiously for just a word from Him to come to our aid in our time of need.

In closing, let’s read together once again from Proverbs: “My son, pay close attention to my words; listen closely to my sayings. Don’t lose sight of them; keep them within your heart. For they are life to those who find them, and health to one’s whole body. Guard your heart above all else, for it is the source of life. Don’t let your mouth speak dishonestly, and don’t let your lips talk deviously. Let your eyes look forward; fix your gaze straight ahead. Carefully consider the path for your feet, and all your ways will be established. Don’t turn to the right or to the left; keep your feet away from evil.” (Proverbs 4: 20-27).

These words, too, offer great wisdom. Read them over and over. Absorb the treasures contained therein. And continue your studies. I cannot stress enough the importance of daily Bible reading, daily prayer and communication with God, your Creator, and daily thankfulness for all He has provided you. Remember, Satan, our enemy and ruler of this “Real World” we’ve been talking about, comes only to kill, steal and destroy. But Jesus, our Savior has come that we may have life, and have it more abundantly. (John 10:10). Choose wisely. Choose a righteous life in Him! Amen!