Mentoring Young Women, Part II

Today, Christian women should have a heart for mentoring young women. Sadly, many of our young women have become confused about life, as they have focused on worldly things and simply surviving. I’ll never forget what my teenage son said to me back in the nineteen ninety’s on a day when he was not looking forward to going to school. I asked him why he did not want to go to school. He said that every day in high school every student had to make what could be life-changing decisions. Decisions had to be made on the spur of the moment on such things as: Was that drug pusher going to retaliate because the student did not buy his drugs? Were the guys who ran with a particular crowd going to expect the student to engage in some nefarious activity? Was this person really a friend or just using you to get what he or she wants? Then there were the fairly ordinary classroom discussions that could get you a bad grade if you disagreed with the teacher. A bad grade could ruin your GPA for getting into college. All those decisions and so many more seemingly innocuous decisions could affect a student’s life for years to come.

I had never thought of high school as being such a mine-field of daily decisions. But, it is even worse today. Now, students have to also worry about getting shot or stabbed by some disgruntled student. Girls are constantly pressured to give up their virginity. Sometimes, in order to be in the “in crowd” girls have to compromise their values (if they have any). By the time our high school women get into college they are confused and uncertain about what is important in life. Just this last week on the news it was reported that some of our college age men and women had to set through a civics class where the professor expected his students to recite a totally different and derogatory pledge of allegiance to the United States. This pledge is based on his ideas and beliefs. This is brainwashing and propaganda at its worst, because the students’ grades depend on their acceptance of the professor’s beliefs. But do our young women recognize it as propaganda or do they just accept what the professor says as Truth?

The news this last week also focused on the many rapes that occur often on college campuses today. So, how do our young women get through college without getting raped or without being expected to give up their beliefs in order to get a grade? Sadly, many of our young people come out of college spouting what they have been indoctrinated with from the classes they were required to take. Many students did not have any values to begin with; while others let someone else set their values for them. Then we have those students who arrive at college without any type of Christian foundation. Many are gullible while others become totally confused when taking classes that don’t teach the truth, as some professors use propaganda to indoctrinate the students into believing what they want them to believe. The Bible tells you that “… there will be false teachers among you. They will cleverly teach their destructive heresies about God and even turn against their Master who bought them. … Many will follow their evil teaching and shameful immorality. And because of them, Christ and His true way will be slandered. “ -- (I Peter 2: 1-2. NLT).  

But, professors do not just stop with telling students that God does not exist or in slandering Christ. Our young women are told untruths and so much more. Truth comes from knowing God and His morals and His values on which we should live. But, without a strong Christian foundation, some students will succumb to the professors’ hype, because they are expected to believe what their professors say. Many young women and men will also come away from college sure that there is no God. Consequently, they will believe that the only reason for living is to have as much fun as they can before they die. So, what can we do?

Ladies, we have got to do better than we are doing for the young women we encounter. I know we are scared to speak up, but we have to remember that if we don’t speak up and help those who are confused, unhappy, or in need, they will continue to be lost. As ARCM women we have to reach out to all women and through many different areas in life mentor those who need our help. The Apostle Paul told us that “… God has given us the task of reconciling people to Him. … We are Christ’s ambassadors, and God is using us to speak… .” (11 Corinthians 5: 18, 20.). Can you speak for the Lord and help others come to know Him and to know that He is there for them?

We have to let go of some of our personal busyness to help those that God puts in our path. We also have to quit avoiding the younger women, simply because we think we have nothing in common. When you are introduced to a friend’s college age daughter, don’t just say nice to meet you and leave it at that. Start a conversation. Befriend her. Offer to have coffee with her sometime. You can be the person that she can come to when she doesn't feel that she can go to her mother. You could also volunteer to teach a Sunday school class for college age students. Or you could volunteer to chaperone a church planned activity for high school students. If we don’t get involved with today’s young women then we are failing them and our Father in Heaven. For, we are God’s hands, feet and voice while we are here on earth. We are His ambassadors for the Gospel message and for Christ-like living. We are to be examples of God’s Truth. If we don’t make the effort to find a mentee, our mentoring will be over before it has begun and our young women will remain lost on a sea of ever increasing waves of turmoil and immorality.