Right vs. Wrong Role Models

As the saying goes, “Monkey see, monkey do.” A trip to a shopping mall brings this phrase to life. As you walk through stores, you see some people sporting neck and arm tattoos. Others have odd piercings or smell like tobacco. Several may meanly glare at you. Most teenagers, however, are there to simply “hang out” and mindlessly kill time.

Behind displays of rebellion are role models—almost all of them negative. In every case, those acting a certain way learned it from someone else. Some aspire to be sports stars, with the goal of being a rich and famous athlete. Others want to be like mega-wealthy celebrities, thinking that having everything they want will bring happiness. Still others are drawn into the depressed minds of their favorite musicians, feeling that these songwriters understand what they are experiencing.

Look at the world around you. It is obvious almost everyone chooses the wrong role models. People rarely smile anymore. There is an increasing number of teenage pregnancies, and many high school students regularly abuse drugs and alcohol. You may have also heard of teenagers using the Internet to orchestrate massive mob-style robberies known as “flash robs.” Within minutes of someone posting a message on a social network website, droves of their friends show up at a store to grab as many items as they can before authorities stop them.

These awful trends should not come as a complete surprise. The Bible states in II Timothy that “perilous times shall come” (3:1). Those “times” are now! The next verses detail the conditions prevalent today, such as persons being “covetous,” “boasters,” “proud,” “disobedient to parents,” and “unthankful” (vs. 2-4).

You live in the most covetous, proud, disobedient and unthankful age ever. With the majority of your peers following the ways of this world, getting through each day can be a challenge.

Even worse than flash robs is the supposed “game” called “knockout,” which is gaining popularity in various Western nations. As a man or woman walks alone, a group of teenagers surrounds the person. One teen then brutally punches the victim until he or she drops to the ground. If necessary, the others assist the leader by jabbing or kicking as well. While it happens, someone records a cellphone video of the attack to post on the Web.

What a vile way to have “fun”! While every teenager today is not participating in “knockout,” it provides a pointed example of how dark the world is in which you are growing up.

Sometimes you might feel all alone as you strive to live God’s Way, with no one who can understand what you are going through. It can seem there is no one to whom you can turn.

But do not despair…

“No New Thing…”

Though the Bible does not specifically mention trends at shopping malls or “knockout,” some version of these has always been around. Ecclesiastes 1:9 summed up this principle as “there is no new thing under the sun.”

This means there has been violence, unruliness and hatred since the beginning of time. In addition, there has always been the difficult stage in life of transitioning to adulthood. And there have always been young people who have struggled to go against the world’s trends, and instead live God’s Way.

Yet these “perilous times” require diligent effort to endure. Therefore, it is necessary to reach out to others in the Church to help you succeed.

There are many people who have grown up in God’s Way. There may be some in your congregation. Or you may meet them at the Feast of Tabernacles. Their examples and advice can help you.

On top of their advice, there is another resource you must use to make it through this darkening age.

Those Who Have Gone Before

Whenever a situation feels unbearable, it may help to remind yourself that there is nothing new under the sun. Someone somewhere else has experienced a similar situation. This is especially true when you are teased or bullied about your beliefs.

You may be persecuted for keeping the Sabbath, not celebrating Christmas, or not eating shellfish or pork. Sometimes these exchanges can feel incredibly intense.

Stop and think for a moment. Have you ever been in a situation when boldly holding to God’s laws would result in death? Except in extremely rare cases, the answer is “no.” Yet this is what many of God’s young servants faced in the past.

The story of Daniel provides an inspiring example of withstanding pressure to sin. As a boy, he was enslaved and taken to Babylon. There, he and other young men were selected to be a part of an elite training program at King Nebuchadnezzar’s palace. The participants were even given food from the king’s table.

Daniel saw that some of the meals provided were unhealthy (some of it likely included unclean meat). Instead of going along with the crowd, the young man “purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s meat…” (Dan. 1:8).

Imagine what was at stake! Nebuchadnezzar had taken in a slave boy, Daniel, and given him an incredible opportunity. He had even given him the same food and drink enjoyed by the royal court.

Yet Daniel refused this kingly gift, even though the punishment for this sort of ungratefulness could have been a death sentence!

He instead proposed a healthier diet. Ultimately, Daniel found favor in the sight of his teachers, as well as the king himself. So much so that he soon was Nebuchadnezzar’s right-hand man. (The entire account is found in the first chapter of the book of Daniel.)

At a later time, Daniel’s three friends, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, also faced a life-or-death situation. The trio refused the king’s order to bow down and worship a statue of himself—and were then sentenced to be burned alive in a fiery furnace. But God protected them due to the fact that they faithfully kept His Law.

Put yourself in a similar situation. Imagine the pressure if someone threatened, “You will be executed if you ever keep the Sabbath again…”

Keep these accounts in mind when you are questioned or teased about your beliefs. Be thankful every time you are not threatened with physical violence.

The examples of those who have gone before you should provide you with encouragement and strength to continue. They made it through their teenage years—and so can you!

Right Role Models

The same pattern can be seen with others throughout the Bible. A young Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers and twice imprisoned (Gen. 37:28; 39:20). King Saul set out on a murderous manhunt after David, who simply did as God commanded (I Sam. 19:10). Esther was likely in her teens or early 20s when she became Queen of Persia (Esth. 2:17). Isaac may have been about 20 years old when God commanded his father to sacrifice him (Gen. 22:2).

Read each of these biblical accounts carefully. Make these examples live in your mind!

But you need not stop there. Any example of someone standing up for God’s Way in the face of persecution can help you endure hardship. In fact, God commands that their lives be used in this way. Notice I Corinthians 10 states that “all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition…” (vs. 11).

Do not let the King James language confuse you. Once the words “ensamples” and “admonition” are defined, this verse can help you through difficult situations.

The word translated “ensamples” can mean a “type,” “a model (for imitation)” (Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance). These faithful servants of God endured these things as living “types,” “models” for you to imitate.

In addition, their mistakes and the negative consequences that resulted should serve as admonitions—or warnings—of what not to do.

Imagine someday meeting Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, Joseph, Esther or anyone you read about in the Bible. They will all learn that what they had to endure was for your benefit today. Think of how they would feel if they learned their “ensamples” were worth it!

The lives of many of these role models are outlined in Hebrews 11. This chapter can serve as a long-term personal Bible study. You should read through the verses it contains, and review the full account in the Old Testament of each person’s life. As you do, draw encouragement from the fact that each of these figures successfully lived God’s Way!

Crowd You Should Follow

Think back to the example of a shopping mall. Every teenager you see likely falls into a different clique—athletes, gangsters, skateboarders, rich kids, and so on. In their own way, each of these is following a crowd.

Whether shopping or at school, it can be easy to feel alone, especially when you see most everyone else fitting in.

Yet there is a crowd of which you are a part. Immediately after the list of Bible “role models” concludes in Hebrews 11, the Bible says we “are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses…” (Heb. 12:1).

Other Bible translations use the word “crowd” instead of “cloud.” In other words, you are surrounded by a crowd of people who have endured hardship and faithfully kept God’s laws.

If you diligently use them as right “role models” for success, you will never again feel you are alone as you strive to keep God’s Commandments!