They are strong and bold and they hold true to themselves and their beliefs. They stand up for what they believe in; they don’t stray to alcohol or drugs, which is a big problem in high school students. They make positive choices concerning others as well as themselves. They generally have a higher self esteem level because they know who they think they are. Religion gives the students a sense of knowing what the world is, how the world came to be, and why they are in the world. They have more of an idea of where they are going and why.
If a student is not religious then they are often confused. They either want to know the ‘meaning of life’ or just don’t care. Religion gives students direction, while non religious students tend to go with the flow. This is when many students use drugs or binge drinking because it is the ‘cool’ thing to do. They compare themselves to the standard of the world, while religious students don’t compare themselves to anyone. They want to be the best they can be, not the best someone else can be.
Recently there was a Christian youth conference held in Adelaide, Melbourne and Perth called Planet Shakers. It originated in Adelaide at Paradise Community Church. The conference runs for 4 days each week they are in each city. There they have a live band, preachers from all over the world and between 3000 and 4000 screaming teenagers and young adults.
The atmosphere is overwhelming. Seeing the students who believe with their whole heart that there is an almighty God is amazing. The speakers tell the students that there is a God to please, and that you can do this by smiling and being friendly to everyone, doing well at school, getting along with parents and helping others. With all they have, they try for excellence in everything they do, not just for themselves but for God.
The feeling that you get when you feel that you have done your best not just for yourself, but for someone else is very rewarding. We have all felt that way, when you do a joint project or assignment and you did your best and you got an A. You feel so good because you know you did all for someone else, not just yourself. Religious students feel like that whenever they do anything! What an amazing feeling to have everyday! That is why they work hard, because they want that feeling, the feeling of triumph.
Elise Przytula 10.7
