How To Be An Attractive Youth Series

Every young person wants to be attractive. Teens suddenly discover

that they are drawn to each other because of their attractiveness, and they

want to be attractive themselves. It is then that the mirror, mirror on the

wall become the idol of them all. They become very sensitive about their

body, and if they are slow in development they worry about being

different. Teens don't want to be different. They all want to be beautiful

and handsome, and in every way attractive.

This is not only natural, but it is also wonderful. It can lead to vanity,

but it is also important for maturity. God loves beauty in the physical and

spiritual realm. He is the author of all the beauty in creation as well as the

beauty of holiness. Jesus was attractive in His humanity. He had all the

qualities of a man that every teen dreams of having. He was attractive to

men, women and children. He was powerful and yet gentle. He was

forceful and yet kind. He could melt hearts with His love, but also throw

fear into hearts with His anger.

Jesus, no doubt, took good care of His body, and was always pleasant

in appearance. This was not the essential ingredient of His attractiveness,

however, for He urged His followers not to be overly concern about the

external to the neglect of the internal. Solomon in all his glory was not so

beautiful as the lily, which does not work at being attractive at all. It just

grows according to its nature. Jesus said we too can become attractive on

the same principle. It can be a natural process if we do as He did and

taught. He said, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness

and all these things shall be added unto you." The key factor in becoming

attractive with eternal beauty is obedience. Nature simply obeys the laws

of God for it, and it produces beauty.

You may be asking, what does this have to do with the text in Proverbs

where the theme is obedience to parents? What is the connection between

obedience to parents and obedience to God? The connection was one that

was important in the life of Jesus, and is important in the life of every

young person who desires to be all that God wants them to be. You recall

how Jesus remained in the temple when he was 12, and he caused quite a

scare on the part of Joseph and Mary. When they asked Him why He did

it He told them that He must be about His Father's business. But then

Luke tells us, "He went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was

subject onto them." All we know about Jesus from age 12 to 30 is found in

that statement and one other. We only know that in those 18 years He was

obedient to His parents, and that He increased in wisdom and stature, and

in favor with God and man.

Jesus lived through His teens and 20's as a youth who was attractive.

He had favor with both God and man. He experienced what every teen

wants, and that is attractiveness and acceptance. All of this took place

after He said He must be about His Father's business, and I can't help but

see that the Scripture is making clear that learning to obey one's parents is

God's business. One can never be a mature servant of Christ until he

learns to obey authority, and even Jesus in His humanity needed to be

trained in obedience. This played a major role in His attractiveness as a

man.

Young people seem to feel that rebellion is the real way to maturity.

To ignore authority and be indifferent to standards of morality is their

goal. They gain attention by this, but it is not lasting or satisfying as a

pattern of life. The only adequate pattern is that which Christ established.

Men through the centuries have demonstrated this by growing up with

respect for authority, and especially the authority of parents, which is

essential preparation for obedience to the authority of God.

Our goal as believers is obedience to God, but one of the basic means

to this end is obedience to parents. George F. Knight wrote, "The

responsibility of being a Christian is appalling. The Christian is called not

primarily to being good, nor to rejoice in a self-conscious faith, nor even to

a search for holy living. The ladder may even turn out to be the ultimate

form of selfishness. The Christian is called to obedience, utter obedience to

the voice of God. And it is as he obeys the voice that goodness, faith and

holiness come to him." That which made Christ attractive, and that which