Social evils are a nightmare to every society as they negatively impact the youth. A preacher should always be encouraged to get acquainted with the problems that lead to the development of social evils, the main causes, and ways of overcoming them. It also entails parents, the church, and pastors taking young people through the various difficulties they encounter in their lives. In this article, a focus will be made on the causes of social evils, the place of parents and the church, biblical examples of youths who turned a blind eye to evils, outcomes of evils, and prevention measures.
Understanding Social Evils
Social evils refer to vices or actions which bring negative impacts on the lives of persons and society. Such can be substance, alcoholism, acts of aggression or theft, deceit, and promiscuity, among others. Criminal and deviant behaviours are not random acts but are a result of individual and social characteristics both within and outside an individual’s environment.
Conditions That Lead to Social Sins
- Peer Pressure: Youths believe a lot in the information that they get from the people they interact with. Because they want to belong, they become a part of the group and may partake in activities that are not healthy for them.
- Lack of Parental Guidance: Lack of parental guidance and supervision may lead to the youths being surrounded by negative peers that pull them in the wrong direction.
- Media Influence: Television, the internet, and social media cause undesirable program impacts by portraying behaviours and attitudes.
- Economic Hardship: Due to poverty and lack of job opportunities the youths are forced to engage in criminal activities as a way of surviving’
- Emotional and Psychological Issues: Yeas, depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues can make youths do self-harming as a way of coping.
The Role of Parents
This paper is going to pinpoint one particular sphere of life which is parents and especially focusing on the life of children. They are the direct precipitators of youth and are capable of giving that direction to their children to enable them to overcome the indifferences of youth.
Importance of Parental Involvement
Providing Guidance and Support: A parent must be a part of his/her child’s life and guide him/her through the right decisions to make.
Monitoring Activities: The parents can help stop certain behaviours by monitoring the friends their children associate with, the activities they engage in, and the mode of communication they indulge in including social media.
Setting a Positive Example: Parents must be angels and act just how they expect angels to act. Showing the students how one should be honest, Integrity, and compassionate has a very significant effect.
Open Communication: If there is an assurance that the children will discuss their problems in the homes, their problems will always be detected on time.
The Role of the Church and Pastor
This means that the church and pastors are important in directing young people protecting them from vices and offering them principles to avoid the evils of society.
Duties and Expectations of the Church and the Pastor
Teaching Biblical Principles: For pastors, it is wise to acquaint youths with what the Bible has in store for them as regards living a Christian life. This in a way assists the youths to embrace a Godly living, since they understand that all they do must be by the word of God.
Providing Mentorship: Religious heads are in a good position to guide the young people especially those from unstable homes where the parents have abandoned their God-given roles.
Organizing Youth Programs: It proves that youth programs and activities should continue to be supported because they offer constructive programs and activities that create social belonging.
Offering Counseling Services: Understanding how to address the problem not only from a medical point of view but also from the psychological and emotional aspect is important, which is why assisting youths in accessing counselling services may be helpful.
Biblical examples of youths who fought against social evils
The Social evils in the Bible can be described as crises and vices that are committed by societies or individuals that need divine intervention which is provided by young people.
Joseph: Throughout Joseph’s story he is sold by his brothers into slavery and endures many temptations and ordeals yet he does not forsake God. Joseph, despite being a teenager who unwillingly ended up being a servant to an Egyptian officer, Potiphar, did not yield to the sexual allure shown to him by his master’s wife and remained chaste throughout; in return, Joseph rose to become one of the most influential personalities in ancient Egypt (Genesis Chapter 39-41).
Daniel: Daniel and three of his friends disregarded the king’s orders to eat unclean food and to drink non-kosher wine to comply with the king’s orders but God’s laws. The faith they have for God results in their protection and promotion in the land of Babylon (Daniel 1)
David: Sustained by his faith in the Lord, a lad named David killed a Philistine who went by the nickname of the giant Goliath. This brought him close to God; he demonstrated great faith and courage thus making him a great king of Israel (1 Samuel 17).
Samuel: This young man named Samuel was placed in the temple under the care of Eli to be a helper and later a priest. However, due to the corrupting influence that was rampant during Samuel’s time, he did not waver in his faith but rather grew to become one of the prominent prophets and judges in Israel (1 Samuel 1-3).
Esther: Esther, a young Jewess, became the queen of Persia. Esther proved brave and trusted in God when she ventured to sacrifice her life to try to prevent the extermination of her people by the king’s advisor Haman (Esther 4-7).
Consequences of Social Evils
Social evils have dreadful outcomes for any individual and the entire society if people indulge themselves in such activities.
Personal Consequences: Such actions have consequences such as addiction, mental disorders, and even physical traumas. They also expose the business to legal issues and mar the image of the business.
Social Consequences: Ministers said evils in the society disharmonize society adding that this would lead to increased cases of crime and broken society, families in particular with no regard for moral standards.
Spiritual Consequences: Sinning causes people to be out of God’s fellowship, thus making them spiritually lost and not able to find true happiness or contentment.
Precautions to be taken to Eradicate Social Evil
One cannot escape social evils without engaging in such behaviours and using the scripture deliberately.
Developing a Strong Relationship with God: This is fostered through prayer, reading through the Bible, and participating in fellowship with other members of the faith since they help provide spiritual ammunition to fight these temptations.
Choosing Friends Wisely: Someone wants to have a positive environment around them because this will encourage and remind them of the correct things to do.
Staying Busy with Positive Activities: Thus, by maintaining constructive hobbies and interests, one minimizes his/her chances of turning to dangerous practices.
Seeking Help When Needed: Other people’s help is often helpful for overcoming personal issues and temptations, counseling and mentorship must be provided.
Application in Today’s Society
For Parents: This is a clear indication that parents need to have a good rapport with their children; they have to be there for them. Praying together as a family and creating specific time for communication as well as for togetherness will go a long way. Child and youth participation in church activities such as Sunday school and joining youth fellowship also offer some support.
For the Church: This implies that churches should enhance their strategies on how to offer support to youths. These anxieties may be dealt with effectively if frequent events, workshops, or seminars regarding the youth’s issues are conducted offering biblical approaches. Church clerics, specifically pastors should be easy to consult and especially provide counsel to those who seek advice.
For Youths: This is the reason why youths should be encouraged to put more effort into their relationship with God knowing that God is always their strength and source of direction. The youngsters should be educated on the impacts, the advantages or the disadvantages of the decisions they are making. This can be through influencing them to make good friends and including them in community services to ensure that they have something to do that matters.
Conclusion
As suggested, the fight against social evils in youths involves numerous activities that need the intervention of parents, the church, and pastors. This way, the concept and formation of social evils and efforts that are applied to try to prevent these factors can help lead young adults toward the right decisions. That is why examples of children and youths who overcame social evils in the Bible can be useful examples and motivation. Thus, by stressing the need for a close connection with God, and acquaintances, as well as useful activities, the youth can be protected from social evils. For this reason, it is imperative to design a supportive, guiding, and loving environment in which youth can successfully cope with arising issues and transform into responsible, God-fearing citizens.
