What is youth? Youth is the period of time a person grows from the dependence of childhood to the independence of adulthood. It is that part of life the young can’t wait to grow into, and the old longs to go back to. It is the time when your strength is at its peak and you feel like you can singlehandedly conquer the whole world; your skin is young and tightly gripped into your muscles and bones. The time when you stand tall with pride and your head held high, with your intellectual skills perfectly functioning. At the same time, it is also that period in life where your curiosity reaches its peak and you’re fervently dying to know and experience everything in the world. Youth is also a juncture in life when you are at your most vulnerable self: you wear your heart on your sleeves, you fall into temptations and betrayals, you make the wrong decisions, you get your heart broken and you’re overwhelmed with stress and anxiety about the future.
With that said, the youths of Delhi are not only faced with countless temptations, but they are living with it. Unfortunately, Delhi is a place where non-believers hold the dominating position of being the majority resulting in the area being infiltrated with all sorts of temptations and practices that are usually frowned upon in the context of Christianity.
Nightclubs and bars have been the tradition in Delhi for decades and youths are the main guests to these events. These events aren’t bad per se, but they become a problem once they act as catalysts for youths to indulge in unethical conducts and fall into the temptation of drugs and immoral sexual practices.
The act of “living in” with a romantic partner and leading the lifestyle of married couples have been gravely normalized among the youths in Delhi, regardless of the fact that it goes against the teachings of Christianity.
Living expenses in a city like Delhi is no joke, especially for youths living alone. Income and expenses must at least balance each other out equally, unless the former exceeds the latter. As human beings, our lives are pretty unpredictable. We could be placed in unprecedented situations where mandatory extra expenses are required on health and other issues and insufficient balance is a major problem in such cases. In that state of desperation, people often tend to settle for the easiest and quickest means, and easy money is mostly, if not always associated with dishonesty. This problem often dragged youths into the pit of black money, illicit drug trafficking, prostitution and several illegal means of earning instant money.
Beside these main temptations that has been circulated often, there are several other temptations enticing the youths of Delhi and could pull a wildfire unless tended otherwise. Majority of the youths in Delhi are either students or working in public sector. The main struggle they are faced with is laziness which affects their entire lifestyle heavily. Their time management and punctuality is the main victim to their laziness, resulting in skipping classes and being late for work. Their physical activities are halted due to their inactive behavior, and this in turn affects their mental and physical health. Majority of the youths in Delhi are living without parental supervision, often leading to carelessness in lifestyle with no proper daily routine of performing certain activities. They become blinded to their purpose, spending their parents’ hard earned money lavishly, carelessly and arrogantly.
This brings us to the problem of youths being envious and attempting to live the lives of crazy rich mainlanders and successful businessmen. They become ignorant to their reality of still being financially dependent on their parents. They make attempts to keep up with the lifestyles of these people who are most probably 12 steps higher up the ladder to them, and when their wants are not met, they fall into depression. This problem is a huge tree of distraction for youths still on their journey to success, currently walking through the thorns of life, with some more tracks yet to cover to reach the light at the end of the tunnel.
If one was supposed to list and emphasize on all the temptations lurking around and enticing the youths of Delhi, it would take days and an entire book to cover them. But the main ones that were mentioned are basically the roots to all the other branches of minor temptations and if uprooted, the tree along with its branches would cease to exist.
So how can youths in Delhi fight and overcome these vicious temptations that have dimmed the lights to thousands of bright future? The answer is simple: loyalty.
Never make excuses to skip your duties just because you feel worn out and lazy to do them because at the end of the day, your exhaustion doesn’t justify your laziness. You are on your own. You have to learn to push yourself out of your comfort zone; you can only achieve so much so long as you stay in your comfort zone. Stay loyal to your duties and your purpose.
Your loyalty must run as deep as remembering your roots and where you come from. Remember that you are in your own league and you get what you deserve. If you want to higher your standard of living, work hard and be patient, life doesn’t change overnight. Never forget that the easier the money, the lower the value. In the words of Henry Sy, “There is no such thing as overnight success or easy money”.
Even in Christianity context, being loyal and faithful to your God and standing firm in your belief, learning to say “NO” in tempting situations is how you overcome evil. If you find yourself in a dark situation and it drains you of your energy spiritually, physically and mentally, regardless of how tempting it must be, how much you enjoy it or how much joy it brings you, you have to learn to leave it. Although at that moment it might seem enticing and worth your time and energy, it won’t last. And when it leaves you, you’ll be left feeling even emptier than you initially did, and that is not worth wasting your energy on.
While purposefully fulfilling your duties as a Christian which includes praying and reading the Bible daily, it is also important to realize that you are only just a human, weak and in constant need of divine help. As you walk through life, you will be inundated with frustrations and anxiety. Your faith will be tested in your most vulnerable moments, moments when other options besides giving up seemed vague. It is very important, at those specific moments, for Christian youths to cling on to our faith with loyalty, regardless of the situation or circumstances. Choosing to stay loyal to your faith, God and your religious teachings will grant you peace and comfort in your desolated moments.
On the whole, the youths of Delhi must learn to master the art of loyalty and practicing it in all facets of their lives. I am well aware that it is easier said than done, but with a hint of patience and firm determination, a youth of Delhi who remains loyal in all aspect of his life will be able to overcome any temptation that life throws his way.
