Normal that young Christians can "lose themselves"

[Garland-Green]

Wednesday 09 March 2016, at. 1:23 p.m. Updated: Wednesday 09 March 2016, at. 1:23 p.m.

Ingunn Marie Ruud, KPK

SAVED SERIES. Arne Tord Sveinall the Institute of Pastoral care is not surprised that many youngsters get burned out when they get involved in a cause they believe in.

In the VGTV (VG is a Norwegian tabloid newspaper) documentary 'Saved' Ruth Helen tells about her time in the Jesus Revolution Army. She believes she ended up losing herself. According to Arne Tord Sveinall, who has worked for many years as a lecturer at the Department of pastoral care at Modum Bad, she is not alone in having such an experience.

- We've have had many conversations at Modum Bad with people who have lost themselves in a cause they believed in. There are many cases like this, he says.

Sveinall emphasizes that he thinks it is great with youthful zeal and youths and that it is both spiritual and human to want something and be passionate about a cause. But it is important that it happens in a healthy way. He sees several things that often reoccurre when people are struggling.

- One should be aware of quantity. If your organization requires that you spend most of your time on it, you can also quickly overdraw your account quantitatively. A system where there is little or no time for family and other friends can quickly become a problem, says Sveinall.

Must find balance
- That the youth is excited and fearless is some of what makes it so nice to be with them. Nevertheless, it is known that idealism can topple and become a burden and "should", says Karl-Johan Corporal who is General Secretary of the Norwegian Christian Student and School Association (teams). He is concerned that young people find the good balance.

- Finding balance takes time, but it is also an important process of maturation. I am absolutely sure that there are people in the team who have experienced stretching the sting too far, while experience has shown that most actually find a good balance, he says.

Opposite problem
CEO of Young Baptist, Roald Zeiffert, says that their experience is often the opposite.

- We find that young people are not very excited for the cause, and that they stop taking responsibility for parishes and young baptist because other parts of life are important to them in their studies or in the transition to adulthood, he says.

- But for those with us a long time we are very focused on this theme. We provide guidance and try to be good role models for young leaders, to show that we too have limits, and that there are also other things in life that are important.

Miracles as that norm
A point may be particularly problematic in religious communities according Sveinall is a big focus on that it miracles should follow what we are doing.

- Many people focus a lot on this and refers for example to Mark 16 where Jesus says that signs and wonders will follow those who believe. When miracles are absent, there are many who think that there must be something wrong with them and their faith, says the institute lecturer.

He does not want to take away the joy Christians can have the experience of miracles and wonders, but stresses that this should not be treated as the norm and general.

- I usually say we know that Jesus walked on water, but mostly he used the boat.

Forbidden feelings
Another sign that an environment is unhealthy can be that you are expected to only be excited and that other emotions are not allowed, says Sveinall.

- When they are given the impression that here you have to smile, be happy and shout "Hallelujah" it could be difficult to arrive with depression, sadness and doubt. A healthy environment allows emotional breadth. There is a reason that there are over 50 complaint psalms in the Old Testament, he says, reminding us of the words of Jude 1, 22: Against those who doubt, you shall be merciful.

In the VGTV series 'Saved' is religious contexts the focus, and more have so far visited the Mormon missionary and leader of IslamNet. Arne Tord Sveinall says that one can find in many of the same problems in non-religious settings such as in sport, but that the spiritual dimension make it extra difficult.

- The problem with the quantity and the manager's authority we can find in many contexts. When it comes to miracles and spiritual enthusiasm it is more typical of religious environments, he said.

- One might be looking for blessing and trying to measure his own spiritual status by the degree of blessings one is receiving. Here you can quickly experience to come up short, says Sveinall.

Have a responsibility
Kjøde team believes that the organization has a responsibility to all those involved with it.

- Our job is to lay a sound basis for healthy follow-up, tell the truth about life and about God on the part of the road we are sharing with our youth and students, he said, highlighting the importance of good adults who can follow up locally. All school teams are encouraged to have an adult contact.

- We are completely dependent on volunteers how train people who can follow up locally and who dedicate themselves to the service of the youth, here we would like to see an ever greater commitment, he said.

Source

Translated with google.translate from Norwegian.  

[cristobela]

Garland-Green

I usually say we know that Jesus walked on water, but mostly he used the boat.

That's a great way to keep things in perspective.
I never thought about it like that. idea  

[cristobela]

In my excitement, I forgot to draw attention to something: was a concept lost in translation? Because they're putting a big emphasis on spending time with family that scripture doesn't, especially concerning single people.

Biological family:


• Matthew 12:46-50 (NIV)
  
  46 While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to him. 47 Someone told him, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you.”
  
  48 He replied to him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” 49 Pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. 50 For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”
  
  
• Luke 12:52 (NIV)
  
  52 From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three.
  
  
• Matthew 19:29 (NIV)
  
  29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife[a] or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.
  
  Footnotes:
  
  a. Matthew 19:29 Some manuscripts do not have or wife.
  
  
• Matthew 19:12 (NIV)
  
  12 For there are eunuchs who were born that way, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by others—and there are those who choose to live like eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it.”
  
  
• Luke 2:36-37 (NIV)
  
  36 There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, 37 and then was a widow until she was eighty-four.[a] She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying.
  
  Footnotes:
  
  a. Luke 2:37 Or then had been a widow for eighty-four years.

The focus of single people:


• 1 Corinthians 7:32-35 (NIV)
  
  32 I would like you to be free from concern. An unmarried man is concerned about the Lord’s affairs—how he can please the Lord. 33 But a married man is concerned about the affairs of this world—how he can please his wife— 34 and his interests are divided. An unmarried woman or virgin is concerned about the Lord’s affairs: Her aim is to be devoted to the Lord in both body and spirit. But a married woman is concerned about the affairs of this world—how she can please her husband. 35 I am saying this for your own good, not to restrict you, but that you may live in a right way in undivided devotion to the Lord.

If I understood the article correctly, then by the article's standards, they would allege that the disciples (who left family), and Anna (who never left the temple), had lost themselves? I think they're allowing worldly logic and affections for the things of this world to override scripture on that point. Single people especially are not raising a family, so they can dedicate themselves totally to spiritual things.