Opinion
Let us show support for our young people
Ruth Lilley shares with us her concern for children and young people, and urges us to do all we can to support and encourage them.
Someone very close to my heart is having a really tricky time at the moment. I feel that there is so much pressure upon our young people nowadays. Pressure perhaps to do well at school because we are not quite sure how to navigate the effect that Covid has had on our young people and their education. Or maybe we are not brave enough as a nation to say our children have had two interrupted years of schooling so let us stop (even if just for a while) expecting the results we had before Covid.
Also, there is pressure to conform with the many perfect images on social media, and our young people may not have the mindset to realise the images that are portrayed are not always, or maybe for most part, real. There is perhaps a constant bombardment of new trends which must be tried out if you want to be “cool”. An encouragement to value ‘things’ that actually have little worth.
Recently, we enjoyed an Open the Book Assembly at school, which reminded us of those who Jesus places great value upon.
One day some parents brought their children to Jesus so he could lay his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples scolded the parents for bothering him. But Jesus said, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like these children.” And he placed his hands on their heads and blessed them before he left. Matthew 19:13-15 (New Living Translation)
I know that I can place far too much importance on my needs and my feelings rather than valuing someone else’s feelings or putting their needs first. However, right now, I need to be more like Jesus for the young people in my life. Jesus reminds us how valuable the children are and how very much He loves them.
Jesus stood up for the children and the challenge for me is to stand up for the young and put their needs first. To place my trust in Jesus as He knows the way. To take time to notice the needs of the young people around me. To find my strength in Jesus as I provide a more positive voice and to lessen the pressures they face. To share a different, more gentle perspective with those who need to know the love, the grace, the hope and the kindness of Jesus now more than ever. To not ignore and instead place great value on our young people so they might know how very valuable they are.
The image above is courtesy of pixabay.com
Ruth Lilley teaches at an infant school in Norwich. She also enjoys writing, and writes a regular blog called ‘With Every Sun Comes A New Day.’
The views carried here are those of the author, not of Network Norwich and Norfolk, and are intended to stimulate constructive debate between website users.