cookie cutter

so we were at staff worship/discussion last night. out of a lot of things that were being discussed, one thing stood out among everything else. the fact that most kids through their junior high years are formed more from a cookie cutter than letting themselves take their own "form". this cookie cutter comes from not just the secular influences, but also religious influences as well. im not gonna rant on about the secular influences, those are quite obvious, but the ones that come from religion...seems like a lot of the "sunday school" years are more of a focus on how to act, talk, and not much of the issue of faith itself. junior high kids do have the capacity to start to form their faith, and lay out what they do believe is true.

another thing that seems to hold them back is the "taboo(s)" people have put on certain topics in church, or just religious people in general. for a young women to struggle with lust is something they hold back, not getting help, and it affects them physically, and also spiritually. same for guys, if they struggle with lust, or sexual immorality, it is hard to get help for something like that when most people want to brush the topic aside, and it continues to eat at you inside.

if we let these younger people be comfortable, and safe with letting out their struggles, and know that its ok, that other people go through the same thing, they could let this stuff out, and truely find their identity in Christ. there would be such a difference if we gave these kids the opportunity to let themselves go. be different, not fit the mold.