by Hansol An
Editor’s Note: This was supposed to be posted on June 30th, but I posted the Single’s Update by mistake. So the collegians will be getting this as a reminder halfway through their summer instead of at the beginning of it.
“Summer break” is a term that has a very positive connotation for most people. And why wouldn’t it? No school, playing all day and virtually no responsibilities. What’s not to like if you’re a kid? But now you’re 18, 19, 20 or 21 years old. By now your summer break will look a bit different, right? You’re old enough to vote now and fight for your country if you want. You’re no longer legally bound to your parents’ authority. You’re an “adult” now. So then, shouldn’t your summer break be more than just about having fun?
If this were the first century, in Israel or another part of the Roman Empire, a college age kid would likely be married by now. In that culture, ladies were often married at 13 or 14 years old. Mary, the mother of Christ, was probably 14 or 15 when she was carrying the Savior of the World. Guys were usually given a bit more time to prepare for that responsibility. The average age for marriage was around 18 for men. It was highly discouraged for men to be single past 20, even to the point that some Jews considered it sinful. By 19 the average man was a father for the first time. Think about that for a second. How many collegians can even fathom being a parent at 19, let alone 14?
Today’s society will tell collegians that they are still kids. And in certain ways that’s true because this society allows young people to extend the responsibility to become mature until much later in life. “You’re still in school.” Marriage? “There’s always time for that. There’s a lot to experience first.” Children? “Whoa now, that’s way later. Maybe when you’re too old to have fun.” Even in the church, this type of thinking is prevalent. Would it be difficult to find a 30 year old man playing video games for hours each day? To put that in perspective, remember that Jesus was about that age when he started his ministry.
In all honestly, it took me a while grow up. Post-college life for me during the week was pretty simple. I went to work, came home, hung out with my roommates, played a lot of Halo with my roommates, went to sleep late and started it all over again the next day. I’m only being slightly facetious. Sure I did maintain involvement in church activities on the weekends but I could look back on some weeks and think, “I accomplished zero.” It is sad to think about the lack of maturity I exhibited. As Paul warned the Ephesians, I was foolish and not “making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.” But thank God, I was challenged by those around me and what I was learning at church to grow up. Eventually I took that to heart and started making changes to that end. Not that I’m there yet, but it’s something I continue to strive after.
The point is this: You can be a responsible adult at 18. The vast majority of human history and societies around the globe would attest to that truth. Relative youth was no excuse for Timothy to be less than a mature man. Paul instructed him to, “Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.” You might be young but even the young can be an example for others to learn from. You have the gift of time (time to learn God’s Word; time to grow closer to the Lord; time to invest in people). Use it to become an adult.