THE TEMPERATE TEEN

by Sarah Dowell

"Let no man despise thy youth: but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity." I Tim. 4:12

TIME WASTERS

I have a friend who makes good use of her time by knitting dish cloths while watching TV She gives them as gifts to her friends. It is a very thoughtful use of her time.

Let*s investigate some time wasters. Do you spend more time watching TV than reading your Bible? "I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes" Psa. 101:3.

Can you quote more verses in your Bible than in secular songs? God*s Word has eternal value. Do you waste time lying in bed? "Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: So shall thy poverty come...." Prov. 6:10-11 and 24:33-34. God doesn’t approve of laziness. Lounging in e is wasting time in idleness. There is an old saying, "An idle mind is the devil*s workshop." When you think you have nothing to do, look for someone who is lonely and minister the Word of God to them.

"Mirror, mirror, on the wall, Who*s the fairest of them all?" How much time do you spend primping? Some girls must waste hours daily on make-up, hair, fingernails, etc. "Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity" Psa. 119.37. I*m not saying that it is wrong to clean, freshen, and even pretty yourself each day, but we should be careful not to overdo it. "Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall he praised" Prov. 31:30. Moderation should be exercised.

And speaking of exercise, too much exercise is also a waste of time. Some of it is obviously good for you, as it keeps your body functioning properly and helps you to be healthy. The scripture tells us in I Tim. 4.8, "For bodily exercise profiteth little: (so we should do a little of it) but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come."

Every time I go shopping, I see groups of teenagers "hanging out" in the mall. They flock together in packs and never behave like young ladies and gentlemen should. It is sad because they probably don*t have the knowledge of the scriptures to help them develop good character. They appear to have no sense of morality or virtue and speak rudely even to their elders. "... if sinners entice thee, consent thou not" Prov. 1:10.

How much time do you waste talking on the telephone? Some parents even have a second line installed so their teens can talk for hours at a time. I don*t think anyone could have that much relative conversation every night to the same person, especially when they*ve been together all day at school. "Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart he hasty to utter any thing before God: br God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few" Ecc. 5:2.

My mother taught me that reading is exercise for the mind. I enjoy reading. Have you ever started an interesting book and lost track of time? I admit I have. Occasionally, I*ve found myself reading until 11:30 at night! If I*m involved in a mystery story, I can*t put it down at the end of a chapter where I*d be left hanging on a cliff. Suspense is better than boredom* Reading is good practice for all types of communication skills. It strengthens your ability in language, grammar, sentence structure, and vocabulary; and broadens your comprehension. When you read with understanding, you*ll "rightly divide" your Bible.

"Teen" Commandment Four:

Treasure your time; Don*t spend it . . . Invest it!