Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Hitting Puberty

When I was in the 6th grade I remember auditioning for a part in a musical through the school chorus. I stepped up to the piano as the chorus teacher played the audition song and I began to sing in a tenor voice. She stopped me two measures into the song and told me that I couldn't sing that low-my voice hadn't changed yet. I was pretty sure that my voice had already started to change since I was now singing quite comfortably in a lower register, but agreed to begin again. She started the song over and I instead began to sing in a falsetto that brought smiles of approval from my teacher.

Passing through physical puberty brings about a noticeable change in guys through the deepening of their voice. They no longer sound like young children, but have the vocal representation of a young man. It is a mark of growth and the passing of one phase in life and the beginning of another.

All of us should have the desire to pass through theological puberty as well. It is a time for deepening and a change of our spiritual voice. It is when our eyes are opened to a part of the bigger picture of who God is-when we start to see Him as more than just a divine vending machine or blessing-giver. It is when our worship shifts from being about what He has done for us to simply who He is. It is when our prayers change from requests to intercession. It is when we see the part we play in the Church and understand it's not about us, but about Him. It moves us from feeling obligated to volunteering in the church to desiring to be part of a movement that is shaping the next generation and changing the world around us. Our thoughts, attitudes, words and actions look and sound different than before.

This drastic change can be difficult to pass through-much like the shift from adolescent to teenager and beyond-but it is necessary for us to become mature and active followers of Christ.

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