Coffee and Conversations

Q: why do we see teens running to the outside recourses of drugs, food, and sex for fulfillment? Is this a teen problem or a parent problem? Why would we sit back and enable such a lifestyle pattern to develop in the ones we love so much, namely, our children?
Inevitably, at some point in the life of a child, they will have been faced with a decision about Mary-Jane, Pop-tarts, and sex-utopia, what they choose will affect the rest of their lives.

Mary-Jane is a beautiful name if you think about it; I wonder how many Mary Jane’s there are in this world? (Forgive the momentary pause for reflection) Mary-Jane however, is the quintessential name for marijuana. Mary-Jane has affected the brain cells of millions of people world-wide. I was introduced to Mary at the age of 18 as it was being passed around in a circle amongst a group of people whom I’ve never before and never since have seen. We all have those friends that your momma warns you about, but you’re not sure why the warning was given until you see the doobie exponentially offered.
Teens that use drugs for the most apart, about 60%%, use it, specifically to shake hands with Mary-Jane. Once a teen has had their formal introduction with the Jane, a chemical called tetrahydrocannabinal commonly known as THC expels itself into the blood stream. THC is the sweet delight of the smile of Mary-Jane, yet this smile doesn’t look so kindly once it has taken effect. Symptomatically, Mary-Jane thrives itself in paranoia, anxiety, and dizziness; in fact, these are what teens would consider for themselves as deserving after a hard week of classroom study, video games, and text messaging.
I sat with students who have freshly finished a date with Mary-Jane and seen an emotional state that hit deep within, literally having life “in tune.” “Yeah man, I’ve got it all figured out, nothing can stop me…” I often wondered after hearing this type of statement what “it” means! “It” must be special, because in concentric circles of concern I’ve heard questions such as do you have the “it factor”? “It” must have something to do with Mary-Jane because “it” must be wrapped up in THC. Mary-Jane can only do so much to help one out, maybe ease the carnage of life if for a moment, relax the chaotic soul, cause deep introspection; however, Mary-Jane will never be able to fill the deep need of the spirit. The way, the truth, and the life are wrapped up in a free gift named Jesus, which does not contain THC, but life.
POP-TARTS
I chose pop tarts as the subject of my next point for the purpose that most children, teenagers, and adults can identify with food. Pop-Tarts are just good! I have a particular addiction to “S’mores” flavored Pop-Tarts with a nice Irish Crème latte. I’ve kept our local coffee shop in business with this particular order. I once new a particular set of females whom I worked with during my first summer at LFR who admitted to having that all nutritious breakfast of Mountain Dew and Pop-Tarts every morning while in college.
Pop-Tarts have no value nutritiously, in speaking of health, but if you want to smack down on some good old comfort, Pop-Tarts will do the trick. There is nothing kosher about a Pop-Tart, so you will not see a Jew or a practicing gentile of the Jewish tradition partaking of Pop-Tarts. God bless them because it would definitely be a vise for me that would consume me at first site; no will power. Pop-tarts do not provide that cover that I desperately am looking for when I give in to my flesh and try to hide like Adam and Eve did in the garden.
What do you hide behind when sin knocks at your door and you give in? We all have that addiction that grieves the inner-most being of our souls. Food proudly invades my space and is a cause for much of my malady; I’ve lived with food addiction for 16 years and there is not a day that goes by that I do not fight its calling. Adam and Eve when they sinned did not wait by the tree of the knowledge of good and evil for God to show up and have a little chat over the situation at hand. No, they ran for cover, to hide and cloth themselves, to hide what was the cause of their shame. When I sin, food provides a momentary comfort that is fleeting from the time I begin to embrace it. For you, it may not be Pop-Tarts, it may be something else. Jesus by His compassion draws me from this hiding place when I try to play hide and seek from Him.
Sex-utopia
Utopia is a 15th Century word coin by Sir Thomas More, who authored the book Utopia in 1516. By definition in Websters it is described as an imaginary and indefinitely remote place, or the ideal place of perfection especially in laws, government (lol), and social conditions; an impractical scheme for social improvement. We dream in utopia dipping our fingers in and tasting the sweet savory flavor of the perfect life and then immediately interrupted by the ever antagonistic alarm. It is amazing how many of us think that utopia is not possible; have you heard of heaven? Utopia only exists in the realm that we do not find by human touch because of our lack of unbelief.
Sex-utopia is experienced widely over planet earth in front of the T.V.’s, DVD’s, movie screens, and computer screens of our lives. Look at these statistics:
In a Kinsey Institute survey, respondents were asked "Why do you use porn?"
43% - "because I can fantasize about things I would not necessarily want in real life."
* 42% of songs on ten top-selling CDs in 1999 contained sexual content, 41% of which were "very explicit" or "pretty explicit." Family News in Focus, July 2005
* 17% of all women struggle with porn addiction* 1 of 3 visitors to all adult websites are women* 9.4 million women access adult websites every month Internet Filter Review
* 38 percent of adults believe it is ‘morally acceptable’ to look at pictures of nudity or explicit sexual behaviorMorality Continues to Decay. Barna Research Group, 3 November, 2003.
“What’s this world coming to?” “Is there no self-respecting human on this planet anymore?” Why do we assume that the world is all of the sudden turned bad? Honestly, have you read the bible lately? None of these stats were present in the city of Sodom and Gomorrah, there was no extensive research done find out what was corrupting the heart of man. God knew it simply as “depravity,” in fact, before the flood while Noah was building the boat, “man’s heart was continually on evil.”
So do not be surprised that we strange creatures of this earth try to meet our sexual needs in utopia when they are not met up to our standards physically. We play the blame game so much when our sexual needs are not met; therefore, it is easier to meet them in the realm of utopia instead of the reality of a relationship through Jesus Christ. The reality is that when our physical, emotional, and mental needs are found in Christ, exploring utopia just does not satisfy. Sex in any form can only fill the void momentarily.
Final Words
Ok so Mary-Jane, Pop-Tarts, and Sex-utopia are idioms for us homo-sapiens to use in meeting that God shaped void in our lives. We can try to stuff it with Mary-Jane, but she only pacifies the pain. We can try to gorge the void with Pop-Tarts, but it only comforts and covers the glaring reality of depravity. We can try to fantasize the void by escaping to Sex-Utopia, but you will find yourself heartbroken. Is it possible that God’s purpose is to meet you at your moment of need so that you will be satisfied in Him? Or will you continue to blame God because you are not running to Him? Maybe it is time for parents to reclaim the home and strike up a conversation with their progeny and actually play a part in the lives of their children as heroes of the faith. Do you actually think that God will leave you to handle it by yourself? Youth Pastors are not your child’s mother and father…I know only a few Youth Pastors who actually get the fact that their job is not to parent but to point to Christ; heck it’s hard enough to lead students when most youth pastors are dealing with their own addictions to Mary-Jane, Pop-Tarts, and Sex-utopia