Stella, a nineteen year old high school graduate got herself mixed up in the wrong company when she went to college to study computers before joining the university. She had grown up in a dedicated Christian family, and every member of the family (well almost every member) was serving in the local church in one way or another.
She had been a leader in the teens’ ministry, was actively participating in crusades, interpretation of the preachings from English to the local language, was involved in church planting among many outreach programs facilitated by the local church.
As she would come to realize later, it takes years to build a godly lifestyle and just one day of ungodly counsel or influence to bring it down. In a few months of being in the wrong company, her value system was corrupted and the world seemed more desirable than the things of God. The Bible is clear about bad company as outlined in Scriptures,
Do not be misled, bad company corrupts good character. 1 Corinthians 15:33
At the point when she realized that she had backslidden from the faith she was in the university pursuing further education towards her dream career in business. The situation was further escalated when she made more radical and careless friends and for more than four years, she was completely lost in the world. Pregnant at a young age, while still in school is one of the worst things to happen to any teenager. It changes the teenager’s life forever.
She got friends who advised and promised to help her with an abortion. However, God’s Word remained true, “Train up a child in the way she should go and when she is old she will never depart from it (Proverbs 22:6). She could not do two wrongs to make a right – she delivered the baby amidst immense challenges. This means that she had to do her studies, attend to the baby and do part time jobs to keep up with the extra financial obligations that came with the baby.
Stella purposed to love her baby, care for her and do all it took to become better and live a straight life for the sake of the baby’s future. She worked twice harder than her young adult friends, and had to think of the best decisions not just for her but for the baby as well. However, it was not until five years later that she started forming good relationships, started going to church again to find God and started helping around in church activities. Stella’s life is the story of my life.
With a radicalized world today, one may be thinking, is it really a big deal to abstain from sex until one gets in marriage? Abstinence in teenagehood helps us focus on things that are most important to us for that season, like our walk with God, discovery of purpose and self awareness, building of lasting friendships, school activities, and planning for our future. The Bible talks about a season for everything.
There is a season (a time appointed) for everything and a time for every delight and event or purpose under heaven. Ecclesiastes 3:1
The season for teenagehood is a period of life with specific health and developmental needs and rights. It is a time to develop knowledge and skills, learn to manage emotions and relationships, and acquire attributes and abilities that will be important for enjoying the adolescent years and assuming adult roles. It is a critical time to know God because we are full of strength (Proverbs 20:29). If we do not sow the right seeds in this season, it becomes difficult to reap great fruits as a young adult.
Getting pregnant is just one of the more visible outcomes of wrong choices in teenagehood – teenage sex poses a greater threat for teenagers as God forbids it.
Run away from sexual immorality [in any form, whether thought or behavior, whether visual or written]. Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the one who is sexually immoral sins against his own body. Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is within you, whom you have [received as a gift] from God, and that you are not your own [property]? Corinthians 6:18–19
So even if a teenager does not get pregnant towards becoming a single mom or dad, he/she sins against his/her own body.
God also warns us against misusing His Grace to continue in sin.
For certain people have crept in unnoticed [just as if they were sneaking in by a side door]. They are ungodly persons whose condemnation was predicted long ago, for they distort the grace of our God into decadence and immoral freedom [viewing it as an opportunity to do whatever they want], and deny and disown our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. Jude 1:4
But blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort because in His love and Grace to us, He can and will forgive our every sin. He will wash us as white as snow and He will remember our sins no more.
My story applies to teenage moms or dads, however, there are so many other older and working moms out there who are faced with the similar challenges caused by different circumstances.
