Adultescence or adultolescence, as it is being more popularly called is a huge dilemma in our day. In many places 25 is the new 18 as young adults sing the ToysRUs song and refuse to grow up and settle down.
Time magazine has done cover articles. Both secular news pieces as well as Christian-based studies are being done to see what’s happening among this generation of 20 somethings and approaching-20 somethings. They’re also attempting to project the impact this will have on the culture as time goes on.
John Piper writes here on how churches can contend for maturity and resist the tide of adultescence. If you’re from Lakeview, you know how deeply I resonate with these things. When Al Mohler talked about this at New Attitude a few years ago it lit a fire in me that has only increased since then.
I thank God for the multiple marriages happening in our church. I was at a rehearsal for some good friends even tonight. They’ll be married by this time tomorrow. I thank God that someone from another church told a friend, “Oh that’s the church where the singles are encouraged to get married?” Well, if I might qualify that and say, “if you don’t sense a call to lifelong singleness, then Yes! Absolutely. We do encourage it. We encourage couples to pursue marriage with wisdom, but encourage them, we most certainly do.”
With that qualifier let me add that this is not to imply that the only way to mature is by getting married. Lifelong singleness is no less godly or noble or sanctifying than marriage is – provided (a big qualifier here) you’ve been called to that. All this said, I think that the major thing our victims or perpetrators – depending on how you want to diagnose it – of adultescence are afraid of is the commitment of marriage.
Piper’s call to the church here beats in my heart. I hope it beats in yours. I hope in our churches we become a part of the adultescence-resistance-effort for the glory of God.
