I have had the opportunity to work with at risk youth for a while and what has become very effective in helping them improve is getting them to believe that I, as their counselor, have life somewhat figured out. Now, I know the premise is somewhat deceptive because I am not going to sit here and try to tell you that I have life totally figured out. But, when they are having a meltdown for whatever reason and I look at them and tell them that it will be OK and that they are going to get through whatever catastrophe of life they are dealing with, they feel better. Is what I say to them necessarily true? Not always. But, most of the time I definitely am in a better position to deal with what they are dealing with than they are and I can help them get through it.

Which brings us to the question of the day. Does anybody have it figured out? I believe that I have my life figured out within the context of I know who does have it all figured out and I am His child and that part of the peace and joy that our God offers is having access to the one that has it all figured out. I think that this is the way that God designed it and it is exactly the way that He wants it. We are made with an often described God shaped hole inside of us and there are many aspects to this hole and one of them is in the area of security. Whether we are willing to admit it or not we all have this need to know that somebody has it figured out because we know that we do not.

Deep down inside of us we all know that we don’t have it figured out and unlike when I convince a kid that it will be OK, God really does have the world in his hands and He is able to lead us through life knowing the beginning from the end. I think that is about as figured out as it can be. Unfortunately, we live in a world that will tell us that we have to have it figured out on our own and it has developed many ways that we can pretend to have this security. The problem is that you cannot fool the spirit deep inside of us and without God’s security we don’t have it figured out and we can present any facade that we want, but we all know the truth. Security and hope can only come from knowing God. The God that has it all figured out

When it comes to young people, they may or may not have a relationship with God that allows them to feel the security that I and other Christians have. It’s not that they are not faithful enough or that they are not in the right environment or some other product of their youth, but maybe they are just not developmentally there yet. I think that, as adults and parents, it is our job to be what God will eventually be to them and provide them with security. Again, I think that God has set it up this way. Again, is this deceptive? No, I don’t think so. Our youth are struggling because they have no hope and security is hope. I don’t think that they have the capacity to think abstractly enough to understand hope from a loving God, but they do have enough awareness to receive it from us.  It won’t last forever, but it is our job as adults to look at kids and tell them that I got this until we can pass them off to the one who really does.