Generation Y, the Millenials, and, it would seem, their successors, believe that they are “entitled.” Their mere existence should secure them, in their minds, all the benefits of life on this planet. And they want it all now. They tend to be a “do-nothing,” “expect everything” group of people. Thankfully, there are exceptions: Alex and Brett Harris are exceptions.
The Harris brothers have written a book, Do Hard Things: A Teenage Rebellion Against Low Expectations. Their message is backed up by years of writing and leading from their blog, TheRebelution.com and by the fact that they, themselves, are teenagers.
In the opening chapters, they explain how they came to their conclusions and how we as humans came to define “teenagers.”
They continue by explaining the “five kinds of hard”: they challenge teens to (1) do things outside of their comfort zone, (2) do more than is expected of them, (3) do things that are too big for them to do alone, (4) do things that don’t pay off immediately, and (5) do things that go against the crowd. Each of these areas is buffeted with real life anecdotes.
They conclude by arguing that teen can and ought to “do hard things.” Three final “impossible” stories are told, and then they give a straightforward call to faith in Jesus Alone.
Their book is very readable and fast paced – especially with all of the stories. I can see a teenager reading this book, benefitting from it and being inspired by it. Yet, I think it would be of even more value in a small group or youth group settling, where teen could discuss their responses to these challenges, encourage each other, and hold each other accountable.
I pray this book, site, and message would be spread widely that many teens would live lives pleasing to Jesus.
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