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Roller-Coaster Christianity. We have all seen it happen, either to us or to our friends. One minute we're totally hyped on God, and the next minute we're totally depressed. One minute we're feeling like we are going to change the world, the next minute we are wondering if we're even saved. Typical Roller-Coaster Christianity.

This is what seems to be normal for teens in their relationship with the Lord. Go to a camp, go to a concert, get totally psyched for God, and then, BOOM, reality hits the next day or the next week and they wonder if what happened was even real or not.

This is a typical sign of immaturity in Jesus. Sometimes it is misinterpreted. People think that because they're hyped for God they must be strong. And then they get totally whacked out when they make a mistake. They think, "Wow, I was really strong and I blew it. So even when I am strong, I'll blow it."

Being hyped is not the same as being mature. Just because you are mature doesn't mean that you don't have any excitement or fervor for God, but there's a maturity in our fervor and in our enthusiasm for God that goes beyond just the "hype" session that takes you to the top of a roller coaster.

God is not interested in giving us a cheerleading session to "hype" us up for the day. He is interested in building us up, not hyping us up. He wants the joy and the thrill that we have in our Christian life not to come from emotionalism or from adrenaline.

Genuine joy that comes from the throne of God is in knowing that we are saved and that Jesus lives inside of us.

Look up Ephesians 4:14.

Here is a Scripture that talks about no longer being infants tossed about. What it is saying is that infants, or people who are young in their faith, are tossed about. They get blown by this temptation, blown by that doctrine, blown by this Christian band, blown again by that preacher. They're blown around so much that they don't know where they're going or what they're doing. They are back and forth, up and down, sometimes hot, sometimes not.

You cannot measure people's maturity in Christ by whether of not they're hyped. The measurement is how stable they are. Is their fervor for God continuing, or is it just something they're in the mood for right now?

If you have been on a roller coaster ride for God, it is time to stop. Get off the roller coaster and say, "God, I want You to fill me with real joy."

Pray like David prayed in Psalm 51, "Restore to me the joy of your Salvation." In other words, "Let me get really psyched about what has really happened to me, and keep refreshing it in my heart and mind every day."

Just because you screamed your head off at a concert and lost your voice doesn't mean that you are mature. Ask the Lord right now to fill you with His joy. The ride that He takes you on will last forever.


Copyright © Teen Mania Ministries
All rights reserved. Used by permission.

Author Biography

Ron Luce
Web site: Ron Luce
 
Ron Luce was the co-founder and president of Teen Mania Ministries from 1986-2015. Ron and his wife Katie dreamed to raise young people who would change the world.
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