From the moment we emerge into our teenage years, we begin to emerge into a world of experience we’ve never known before but will build on for the rest of our lives. From this, we, as the youth of society, are flung into a confusing and emotional time of our lives where we develop our moral code and an array of opinions which influences the rest of our lives. We prepare ourselves for adulthood as we go through the transition of experience and therefore our teenager years are a time of constant change and often commotion.

Today, teenagers are faced with a plethora of difficult circumstances and painful experiences to work through and often feel parents and other adults simply do not understand. Misunderstood and often marginalized in society in an age where suicide, divorce, depression, drug and alcohol abuse, among other serious problems, are becoming increasingly more relevant issues for teenagers, youth cry out for help.

But who is there to help them when they feel they are beyond the help of anyone? It is the One who loves us for whoever we are, the One who understands us more than we understand ourselves, and the one who knows each one of his children like the shepherd knows each and every one of his flock by name, is who anyone, including teens, can feel confident in turning to. The One, of course, is God. Once we have discovered God, our lives will never be the same again.

But how are youth today finding him? In an increasingly secular society and a degree of media-provoking cynicism towards religion, often teenagers today have not been brought up with a knowledge of Christianity. Yet they still find Him. And how? Experience answers for a lot. Often young people ( and old!) do not respond to merely what they hear or see, but must feel it for themselves. Worldly wise and often more educated than previous generations, youth today often want to form their own opinions on religion and it is becoming increasingly more common for children to hold different faith belief systems to their parents.

Each one of us has a natural sense of cynicism and disbelief as it stands to be a crucial trait for survival in the world today, but this can be blown apart in one moment of religious experience. No longer is the term “religious experience” confined to blinding celestial visions or literal voices one can actually hear, but is now used for any moments when we are touched by God and feel his presence within us. The times in our lives where we have been moved in a way we did not or could not comprehend.

Whether it was a wash of calmness after a period of anxiety and concern beyond our understanding or a physical phenomena that no rational science could explain, many of us have experienced a moment when we have felt God in our lives. From this, many people, especially impressionable youth, have significant spiritual growth and are often inspired to grow in their faith.

Philosophy and our basic human nature to question our lives and beings can also spark a discovery in our youth today. As children, we asked “ Mummy, how did I get here?”. As our inquiring minds develop, we ponder deeper and often begin to question the meaning of life, or more commonly, the meaning of our own lives. The big questions we face in our lives are not about our career path, marriage or children but more widely, “Why are we here? What is our purpose?” After reflection on this pressing question, one might arrive at the conclusion that without faith, life lacks a real meaning and our lives become empty and pointless as we strive to fill the hole in our lives which only God and our faith can ever fill. The teenage years are the stage in our lives when one first begins to have a feeling of emptiness; that sense that something is missing from our lives.

And when we feel that emptiness, we go on a subconscious mission to fill it. Youth and adults alike “experiment” to some extent in an attempt to fill this gap in ways that are often so destructive and detrimental to our well-being. This can be evident in negative behaviours such as binge drinking, taking illegal drugs, promiscuity, self-harming and many more. When we feel empty and unsatisfied, we become harmful to ourselves in our discontent. Once we come to the realisation that there is a God to fill the hole in our hearts and lives, it is then we are able to move forward and cherish His creation and the gift of life he has given us.

However, we as humans, young or old, rich or poor and irrespective of race or culture, find God, whether is be through curiosity, experience, upbringing in a Christian home or otherwise, we are privilege for it and enjoy richer and happier lives. Once we have found God, our saviour, we must strive to not lose sight of Him, to cherish the layer of meaning it gives our lives and have a warm, welcoming heart which encourages others to discover the wonders of the Christian faith.