The message that many of our children and young people hear regularly is “be true to yourself, be whoever you want to be, ignore the rest of the world and follow your dreams, blaze your own path”. It sounds like a freeing and harmless message on the surface, but in reality many young people are left with doubts and anxiety at the sheer volume of big decisions they are given to make (expected to make) at a very young age. So here comes Kevin DeYoung with some countercultural advice for the rest of your life.
This book is an encouragement for students and young people to as they live, and are constantly advised on things, in a world of compromise. It’s a call to stand firm in Jesus in the midst of adversity and an ever changing world.
DeYoung does this over five chapters
- Do not be true to yourself
- Choose for yourselves
- The first day of the next chapter of your life
- Two ways to live
- Horseshoes, hand grenades, and the Kingdom of God
The chapters were mostly originally talks that DeYoung gave at baccalaureate services, commencement services and other events for students, and high schoolers, who were just starting or just finishing their studies.
The book naturally reads like that, it has all the illustrations and anecdotes that a talk would, but is in written form. The book is very short, just 56 pages long, and you could read it in about 30-40 minutes. As you read the book you get the sense that this is the plea of a Pastor to young Christians to stand firm in their faith and to realise that they are walking into a world of battle where they will be challenged. It’s a call to remember that your identity is in Jesus, not in anything else.
I think it’s a helpful book and would be good for teens in the later stages of high school or just going into university. The thing I like about this book is that DeYoung doesn’t just set himself up as another voice giving advice to teens, instead he brings the Bible to the teenagers and shows them what God says about sin, identity, the importance of standing firm in your faith and of gathering with a church family.
The original talks were given in an American context, so it is naturally quite American, but I think the principles transfer well to the UK context too.
You can get your copy of this short book here and give it to a young person. I’m sure it will encourage them and it could serve as a great conversation starter about what it means to follow Jesus today.
*** I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for honest reviews. This does not change the way I rate the book. My views are my own. ***
Chalmers' Blog 