Can You Go Home Again?

I just read a survey that stated that 77% of college graduates moved back in with their parents last year. This is up from 67% in 2005, and I would guess that the trend has been consistently moving upward for the past 10-15 years (although I have no statistical proof to that effect).

When I was growing up, my father repeatedly made it clear to me that moving back home after college was not an option, except if I needed a (very) temporary place to stay while I searched for a job. I also knew that if I dropped out of high school or failed out of college that my only home would be the cruel, cold world outside.

Some may find it hard to believe, but Dad was not intentionally being unkind. Quite the contrary: He knew that adulthood eventually requires independence from one's parents. He recognized that safety nets often become permanent nesting places, and so the best option for a young bird is often to toss them out of the nest.

As a result, by the time I graduated from college, I had zero desire to return home permanently. Don't get me wrong, I love my parents and enjoy visiting, but the thought of returning permanently to my old room with the homecoming mums, legos in a box, and back issues of Highlights sounds creepy and sad. Maturity requires leaving behind childhood and moving on. We may remember childhood with fondness, but we are not meant to dwell there forever.

I am teaching this semester on the subject of mature discipleship. What does it mean to follow Christ with discipline, maturity, and focus in a world that consistently encourages prolonged adolescence and irresponsibility? Paul writes that ultimately, when we see God face to face, we will finally put aside our "childish" understanding of Jesus, and think about Him like adults (1 Cor 13:11). In the meanwhile, we labor to grow toward adulthood, for the sake of His glory.