Ten Things Absolutely Every Young Man Should Know!

The inspiration for this article came as I was reading a very profound letter written by Daniel Whyte III, in a book titled"Letters to Young Black Men, advice and encouragement for a difficult journey." In the letter he expresses ten things he wished he had been taught when he was twelve years old. Like Daniel I too found myself wishing that someone had taken the time to teach those very things to me, and even now as I am approaching my fortieth birthday I find myself looking at some of the poor choices I have made and can't help but think that had someone taken the time to teach me these ten things, I possibly would have a few less scars today. I came up with a lot of reasons not to publish this but, if only one person reads this and it helps them avoid some of the pitfalls that I fell into, then it will be worth it. So I ask that you read this with your heart, and although I specifically address the young men, it has value for all that read it. Mothers share it with your sons...sisters...share it with your brothers...and if it blesses you at all feel free to pass it on.

Ten things every young man should know.
1. Your life doesn't truly begin until you have a relationship with God through His Son Jesus Christ. Not religion or church going, but a relationship. According to the Bible, God's Word to us; we have all sinned and come short of God's Glory (Rom 3:23) the punishment for that sin is eternal separation from God or spiritual death. (...the wages (cost) of sin is death. Rom 6:23) The Good News is that God Loves us so much that He has provided us with a way to eternal life with Him (For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him, shall not perish(spiritual death) but have everlasting life. (John 3:16) I realize there are many people are claiming that there are many ways to God, their claims simply are not true. Jesus addresses this very issue "I am the way the truth and the life, no man comes to the Father but by me (John 14:6) If you haven't taken the time to do so please do so now, the Bible says that if you "confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and shall believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead you shall be saved. (Rom 10:9) So again I ask you to take a moment and call upon His name (for whosoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. (Rom 10:13) A life filled a peace that passes understanding awaits you...tomorrow isn't promised do it now.

2. The secrets of success are in the Bible. It's really not a secret although many are ignorant of this truth. The Bible covers everything we will ever face in life, those that read it study it and apply it to their life will discover true success. Joshua 1:8 states "This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. " Prosperity and Good success belongs to the man who allows the Bible to guide his life.

3. Avoid sex at all cost...prior to your marriage that is. I realize that this goes against everything everyone else is saying but I can't stress to you how important this really is. People will give you all kinds of reasons why you should avoid sex, so I won't go into all of the health issues, and avoidance of unwanted children being born. But I will tell you this. The world refers to it as sex, God's plan however is for "intimacy" God doesn't want to deny you any pleasure, but rather that you have pleasure the way he intended. Sex before and outside the boundaries of marriage; cheapens what God has designed to be a Beautiful and fulfilling thing. The joining of a man and a woman together is more than just an exchange of bodily fluids or a merging of bodies...it is an exchange of the soul sealing and celebrating their faithful union together. Sex will only gratify a momentary lust or desire for physical pleasure and I can tell you that no amount of physical pleasure compares to the fullness that comes with true intimacy. My friend as hard as it may be to resist sexual temptation I urge you to fight that good fight, because once you cave in it becomes even more of a struggle and places you in the perfect spot for condemnation and guilt. Sexual activity before marriage or fornication unlike other sins is a sin against your body (I Cor 6:18) There is one gift that you can give your future spouse that no other can give them....and that is yourself...your whole self in it's highest value... a gift reserved just for your spouse that no other person has touched.

4. Learn all that you can about the worth and value of money. Many people misquote what the Bible has to say about money. Most times you will hear people say that "money is the root of all evil" however that is slightly incorrect... actually the verse says "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs." (1 Timothy 6:10) It is important that you learn all that you can to help you understand the value of money, so that you will not be tempted and lured into sinful activities in the pursuit of gain. The Bible declares in Ecclesiastes "money answereth all things" My son learn the true wealth and value of a dollar, learn now what it means to invest and save. Learn what it means to diversify. Don't be at the mercy of someone else when it comes to your assets. One day you will be the provider for your own household, learn and master these skills now and you will experience the reward for it as you grow older. Even if you only can save a dollar a day do it, twenty years from now you could have saved a million dollars. Manage your money wisely, so that your finances or lack thereof will not be the reason why you can't go wherever God leads you. Learn how to give with a free and cheerful heart while you are young and the seeds you sow now will be ripe for harvest in your adult years. If you learn these lessons you will not be enticed or pimped by the many scams that lay in wait for uneducated young men.

5. You can lose money, friends and time...the first two can be replaced the third cannot! I want to impress upon you the importance of your time. Jesus has advised us to redeem our time, for it is highly valuable and contrary to current trends not a minute should be wasted. One day we will stand before our creator who has given us this valuable gift of time, will you be found to have invested it wisely or squandered it foolishly. My son, your time is just as valuable, if not more valuable as your money is. I submit to you the man who doesn't realize the value of his time is destined for poverty for the two go hand in hand. Manage your time wisely; it will play a vital role in your success.

6. Learn the value of hard work and establish a good work ethic. By doing so, not only will you reap the rewards that come with hard work...but you will establish a good and reputable name. Work with a passion, as a service unto God. "And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (Colossians 3:17)

7. If you play now...you will pay Later. However if you pay now you will be able to play later. Now is not the time to play my son. During these your young years you have many things to learn. Unfortunately many other young men who have been seduced by foolishness will try and lure you to squander your youth and vitality on foolish endeavors...DON'T! Especially when it comes to your education. Junior High and High School are not "play time" There are many distractions and many thieves who would try to steal your education from you, and if you are a minority the odds are not stacked in your favor to begin with. Please do not arm your enemies by playing your way through school. Learn all that you can and don't fall for the trick that you can make it if you know to handle a ball. Even if you are athletically inclined, get your education and don't rest all of your hopes on being the next biggest NBA NFL or MLB stars. Even if you make it, it won't do you any good if you can't read and understand your contracts, or know how to count your own money. Learn all that you can while you can.

8. Life is neither easy nor fair, so take life seriously! I wish with all my heart that I could tell you otherwise but it would simply be an untruth. Life is not easy, look around you and talk to just about any person and they will tell you the same thing. Arm yourself with this truth now and you can avoid making foolish decisions. Many bad decisions are made because people are always looking for an easy way out. Recognize this and take your life seriously because it is the only that you have to live and when it's over it is too late to make changes.

9. Racism and prejudices did not end with the Civil Rights Movement...Integration opened the doors for people of different races to attend the same schools, eat at the same restaurants and so forth, unfortunately it did not close the door on racism. So do not be shocked when you see it or experience. Do all that you can to not be guilty of it yourself...but don't by any means believe that our Society has been rid of the evils of racism and prejudice. Don't be frivolous with the gifts given to you that were paid for with the blood, sweat and tears of those that came before you both, regardless of their race or national origin.

10. You can only be trusted as much as the company you keep. You might be a trustworthy person, but if you keep company with people who are shady and untrustworthy, you will likewise not be trusted. Bad company will corrupt you. I repeat bad company will corrupt you, no matter how strong you think you are they will corrupt you. Be selective about the company you keep. Refuse to let any person dictate to you what is cool. Don't be a King of Fools, which is what many men young and old alike are. They surround themselves with people less fortunate or less intelligent and so forth so that they can feel superior, avoid this pitfall young man. Surround yourself with people who will pull you up and not bring you down. Pray and ask God to provide you with spiritual brothers and mentors who will befriend you and keep you accountable as well as help keep you from company that will corrupt you.