Why 20-Something Christians Can’t Commit.

I am 24 years old and like many of my peers I struggle to commit to Christianity. Not because I doubt that God is real, but because the Christian religion is contrary to most of what my 20-something personality wants to do. First, lets talk about sex. I have heard Christians talk about sexual immorality even before I was interested in girls sexually. It is a struggle to remain sexually abstinent when our society sells sex everywhere. Sex is in our social media, on TV ads, on advertisements when we walk into our favorite stores, on billboards when we’re driving, in our music, and online pornography is 99% free.

I tried to be celibate. It worked for two years. But, I had my own version of celibacy. It is how some girls still consider themselves virgins as long they do not have vaginal sex, but oral and anal is fair game. I considered myself celibate as long as I did not penetrate the vagina. Pornography and oral were justified because I needed to have my sexual pleasure somehow. I felt that vaginal sex was technically sex and the most risky sex when it came to pregnancies and sexual diseases. According to my standard I was celibate for two years but according to God’s standard I was never celibate.

On June 26, 2015 the Supreme Court ruled that same-sex marriage is legal in all 50 states. This is another huge debate among 20-somethings. We want to support everything that is relevant and equal. But, according to our Christian faith it is not about being equal with everybody but being righteous. I’m not suggesting that Christians should or should not support same-sex marriage. But, some people feel like they have to deny Christian religion to support equality for everyone and everything.

Almost everything is temporarily in the lives of 20-somethings. We are constantly on the move. We move to different cities and states for college, for jobs, for love, for financial stability. Since I graduated high school I have lived in two cities and three states all for college and career progression. I only see my high school friends on Facebook. I haven’t seen my college friends in a year. And, whatever friendships happen in my current state will inevitably become just Facebook friends because I will be moving again in 2017.

Our constant movement and desires of exploring something new prevent us from finding a concrete church family and we often get lazy in searching for a church home. I have to study, I have to work, I had too much fun last night, church is too early, etc. There are many excuses that keep our 20-something lives too busy to commit to church on Sunday let alone Bible study groups in the middle of the week. Even I have missed some Sundays because I felt like that time was needed to finish up some work in the office, and I have missed Bible studies because I needed to hit the gym, or I haven’t eaten dinner yet, or I much rather watch Netflix with the few hours I have before I have to go to bed.

For me to fully commit to my faith I have to remind myself that Christianity is not to keep me confined from the “fun” activities of 20-somethings, but to set myself free from the sinful bonds that hinder success and fulfilling relationships with God and with my community.