Being a young adult is tough. You’re coming into your own and trying to stake a claim in this world.
What doesn’t make it any easier is we stopped having mentors at some point as a culture. It’s rare you find a 25 year-old being mentored by a 38 year-old who’s walked alongside Jesus and garnered some wisdom.
I still have work to do in this area of my life. I’d like to find more strong mentors to help guide me through early fatherhood.
Going it the hard way isn’t wise. The hard way is the lonely way. Meaning having no one alongside you for accountability and wisdom.
But I have learned some things doing it the hard way. I’m 25 right now, and so much of what I’ve learned in the last few years I wish I’d known long ago.
This is a list of wisdom, knowledge, and discernment I don’t want you to miss out on:
- This life is too much for you to do on your own. We were made for community. Because of this, we were meant to do life together. All of it. But more than that, you can’t make it without God as your leader. 100%, all the way, full-on leader. Without Him you’ll be overwhelmed and succumb to temptation.
- Studying God and His Word is the most intellectual thing you can do. I’m a thinker. Always have been. But at some point, I chalked God up to being a formula. There was nothing to it. Pray and good things will happen! What I didn’t know is there’s so much more to God than this. His knowledge is beyond comprehension. His wisdom infinite. Once that clicked, I never looked back.
- Stop ignoring what you think you were made for. Everyone has something which is natural to them. Whether you’re an engineer, writer, or administrative type, you have a knack. You have things that make you tick. For me it’s the way my brain works. I’m gifted with knowledge, discernment, and teaching. That’s fine and dandy, but it didn’t come together until I figured out writing was supposed to be the outlet for these gifts. It’s how they all come together. The gifts are the fire, but writing is the fuel.
- Your life is not about making you happy. We’re fed so much junk by the world. You don’t need to settle down yet. Don’t let anyone stop you from taking care of you. Sooner or later, you start believing it. I did. But every last bit is full of lies. Before you know it, you’re unhappy because you made everyone around you unhappy. First off, you don’t deserve to be happy. Sorry if that hurts, but it’s true. You’re a sinner and won’t be right until you repent before God. As for relationships, most of us plan on getting married and living happily with someone. If that’s you, why prolong it just to reach some man-made age limit? You know what you want. Go after it. Time isn’t guaranteed.
- Discipline is what separates the men from the boys. Or the women from the girls. Everything in my life that’s gotten better was not by accident. It took discipline. Down and dirty, in the trenches, focused discipline. It takes time to be better. The sooner you understand that, the quicker you’ll start to grow.
- Don’t you dare chase money instead of your dreams. If it’s easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than the gates of heaven, why would you even want to be rich? It’s a tired old story. You chase money and a ficticious ideal only to find yourself 50 years old and hating yourself for it. Save yourself the time. Love what you do and invest in God. The rewards are sure to be heavenly. I don’t know about you, but I’d rather be driving a Lexus down the Streets of Gold than down the street to work.
What did I miss? What do you wish someone told you before you were 25?
