Leading Teen Girls In a Post-Christian Era
I was listening to a sermon the other day and the pastor said we are living in a post-Christian era. He posed the question, “who is pouring into the next generation?” It stuck with me because if we aren’t leading our girls, who is? I believe these questions should instill a sense of urgency within us.
Let’s start here. What is a post-Christian era?
When many of us were growing up, it was a part of our introductions and getting to know someone to ask, “What church do you go to?” There was often an assumption that the person you were meeting was a Christian. There was very little associated risk with being a Christian. The majority of people were. It was the social norm and widely accepted to be a Christian.
This is not the case today. The world our teen girls are walking into daily does not have a Christian foundation. Praying in schools has been replaced with moments of silence. Asking your parents or small group leaders questions about life has been replaced by searching for the answer on social media and within their friend groups. Social media, shows, and movies constantly pose questions to shake our girls’ faith. The world our girls are living in is not majorly influenced by the church, christians, or God’s Word. I hope this strikes your spirit like it did mine.
Why do we care?
More is caught than taught. My mom used this phrase over and over again with women she was pouring into. Our girls see and catch on to what we do and what is happening around them. We are living examples of what it means to be a Christian. We are living examples of what it means to be bold and courageous. We are living examples of what it means to not conform to this world, but to transform this world. When our girls catch our actions that consistently reflect God’s love and truth, that is what they are soaking up. If our girls cannot tell the difference Jesus has made in our lives, who will they start to look like? Who will they allow to influence their lives?
What do we do?
Early in the morning, when the sun wasn’t even awake, my mom used to wake us up and have us sit around the breakfast room table. My mom was a single mom of four kids. We were not easy to wake up, it was not easy to keep us awake, and our attitudes were not the best. Despite the consistent responses she would get from us (we would trade off on who fell asleep or was disruptive), my mom continued to make breakfast and lead us in a devotion. Each one of us would open our Bibles, read Scripture, answer questions, and pray to start our days. Day after day this how my mom led our family.
As an adult, it is now instilled into me the importance of starting each morning in God’s Word. No matter how busy it is or the distractions and hurdles life places in my way, I have to choose daily to read God’s Word. I look back and am so thankful that my mom valued showing us how to have a devotion and the importance of studying God’s Word as a family.
In this post-Christian era, we need teach our girls the importance of having a foundation on Christ. We need to show them how to study the Bible. We need to be open to having discussions regarding the hard topics that their friends and social media are presenting to them about their faith. We need to choose to be present in their lives.
The only way we can lead our girls well is to start internally. We need to self-reflect and ask ourselves if we are exuding God’s grace and truth. Ask ourselves if we are living life in a way that points our girls back to God. Then, keep moving forward. Be the person our girls come to when they want to ask the tough questions. Open the Bible with them and be the one that tells them “I don’t know, but let’s find out together.” Choose to be the one that inspires them to look more like Christ daily. In a post-Christian era, I pray our girls can still see how Christ has transformed us. I pray our girls can see the impact God has made in our lives. I pray our girls can see what it means to be a bold believer in a post-Christian era.
Jillian Deaton has a passion for showing people the love of Christ through speaking, writing, and everyday life. She is the wife to second lieutenant Jaxson Deaton. Jillian is a graduate of Oklahoma Baptist University. She is the author of Powerfully Weak, This is Why, The Four Seasons of Hope, as well as the co-author of A Bigger Purpose. She is passionate about sharing God’s Word with students and women of all ages! She believes no matter who you are or where you’ve been the Word of God is relevant to your life as you strive to live with authentic faith in Christ. Connect with Jillian: Instagram