Janet Parshall Commentary

A View of the Future

         In a world where teenagers are too often viewed as purveyors of bad behavior, there is some good news on how many teens see Jesus.

         A study from the Barna group was done in partnership with multiple Christian organizations to answer the question: How do today’s teens think about Jesus, the Bible and Justice?  The study garnered responses from nearly 25,000 teens, ages 13-17, in 26 countries, speaking 17 different languages, to answer that question.  

         In the first part of the study, Barna reports:

Data show it’s rare that teens think poorly of Jesus. Most teenagers around the world have a positive perception of him. About half of all teens, across faith groups, describe Jesus as “loving” (49%) and believe he offers hope to (46%) and cares about people (43%). The global impression of Jesus is that he is trustworthy, generous, wise, peaceful… and the glowing list goes on.

         In the second part of the study, Barna wanted to see how teens globally related to Scripture and how or if they applied it to their lives.  Groups were divided into 3 categories: Bible-engaged, Bible-open, and Bible unengaged.  In the engaged category, over 80% said the Bible helped them live a meaningful life, (84%), helped them understand their purpose in life (84%) and taught them how to live wisely in society today (80%). 

         The third part of the study showed that teens desire to be a force for good in their homes, communities and the world.  Many teens believe the Bible calls them to justice.  According to the study:

“Justice-motivated teens are motivated by the Bible not only to do good work, but to grow in their faith and relationship to Jesus. Far more than their Christian peers, justice-motivated Christian teens say the Bible motivates them to stand up against the wrongdoings of others (66% vs. 36%), promote fairness and justice (73% vs. 42%), make a positive impact on others’ lives (73% vs. 42%) and take care of people who need help (75% vs. 44%).”

         The findings from Barna should serve as an encouragement to the Church on many levels.  First, what a difference being in the Word makes.  Those teens who were Bible-engaged, who spent time in His Word several times a week, had the clearest picture of who Jesus is.

         Secondly, those teens who immerse themselves in the Bible find real meaning and purpose in living and develop a keen sense of how to engage the world wisely.

         Lastly, the study showed that teens who know who Jesus is and know how to apply His word to their lives are the same teens who desire to engage the world around them, to become Ambassadors for Christ.

         Paul’s gracious counsel to his young pupil Timothy rings loudly as we take heart from this study:

“Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.” — 1 Timothy 4:12

         I think these teens are setting a wonderful example for believers and, should the Lord tarry, the Church will be in good hands.

         Those are my thoughts.  I’m Janet Parshall.