SKINNY Jeans and V-NECK shirts: The essence of cool.

COOL.  After 2 years of youth ministry… probably to some. After 5 years… maybe. After 10 years, I don’t know. After 15 years… probably not. After 20 years… definitely not. The essence of cool. It is something that I probably lost grasp on many years ago. I realized this summer at the Motion youth conference that I did not look like a lot of the “youth speakers” that were on the stage. Skinny jeans and v-neck shirts… hmm. Should I really be wearing those?
Not unless we intend on having an altar call to lay hands on the teens that were violated by seeing their 40 year old youth pastor in such attire. When I was a 19 year old youth pastor, I may have gotten away with that, but NOT NOW. I probably should not have even mentioned this in the blog. Please forgive me for any visual images you may have received.

Yet over the years, I have learned a lot. Proverbs 31:30 says, “Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last…” Can I say that beauty is not the only thing that does not last? The factor of “Cool” does not last either. I know, because some of the coolest guys in their high schools in the ‘80s and ‘90s are mothers and fathers of teenagers. Guys who glorified in metal music and long hair are now bald with a loss of hearing. Jocks who ran touchdowns now look like whales on a beach during the summer. No one in their right mind would call that cool. The cool factor wore off, and all that was left was character defined by the relationships that they chose.

One thing that will last is the impact of Godly relationships. The most important of which is a living and thriving relationship with our JESUS in light of the cross. Secondly, relationships with people that care about us and challenge us (1 Cor. 5:33, Prov. 27:17). When you think about who is involved in your life, you had better choose wisely. Who you choose will either enhance or corrupt your character. And when your cool factor is gone (and trust me… it will go), you will be left with only your character. For the good… or for the bad. God help us to choose people that are examples of what it means to be a Godly man or woman. Choose to build relationships with them… choose to learn from them… choose to follow them (1 Cor. 11:1).