Not Everybody's Doing It

At REALife we have just finished our second installment of "The Battle Within" where we are talking about the topic of temptation. I was sitting in a small group of teenage guys last week when I asked them what were some of the biggest temptations they faced as high school guys. One of the top three things that they told me was the area of sex (pornography was second and "fitting in/peer pressure" was third). These are big temptations facing our students, but they are also areas where we can encourage them in their fight against temptation.

I've recently stumbled upon a report from the Center of Disease Control that studied sexual activity among teenagers in the United States (CLICK HERE to download the pdf). This report was eye-opening to say the least. I'll encourage you to check out the whole article if you have time, but here is one major highlight:

53% of boys and 58% of girls between the ages of 15-17 have never had a sexual encounter (including oral, anal, and vaginal intercourse)

Now let's re-visit my conversation with our high school guys. They're tempted by peer pressure to do what they think they have to do in order to fit in. They hear or assume that everyone in high school is having sex. So they are tempted by their peers (and maybe a little bit of hormones) to have sex. These temptations are very real and very strong. And this is where we can throw some encouragement at them.

Not Everybody's doing it. More than half of high school students in this age range are not having sex. Most students are waiting and holding out for sex. The biggest reason, as given by the report, for abstaining is on grounds of morality or religion. There are students just like them at their schools who are wading through the sea of temptation trying hard to follow the path that God wants them to follow, and a majority of them are staying strong.

We need to encourage these teenagers to continue to pursue God in this area of temptation. We are promised in 1 Corinthians 10:13 that "No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it." God provides a way out when we are tempted. He is there for them in their times of greatest challenge, and as adults and parents of these teenagers we should be willing to lend a hand as well. Talk to your son or daughter about this article. Ask them if they are experiencing the pressure and temptation to be sexually active, and give them the encouragement and support the they need to resist temptation in their lives. Who knows... you may be the "way out" that God is providing for your son or daughter when they are facing temptation in their lives.