One of the most popular televised events every year offers entertainment, as well as influence. The Super Bowl is built up to such an incredible degree that companies spend much time, money and effort to create messages that run throughout the duration of the game.

What captured the attention of so many like myself, is none other than the puppy-monkey-baby that Mountain Dew has conjured up.

For all who didn’t take note, allow me to recap. The puppy-monkey-baby bumps its way through the door flap into a room with people who are totally unaware of what is about to take place. Stunned, these dudes watch puppy-monkey-baby dance on the tabletop while shaking the baby rattler like a maraca. Soon they are enlightened by the beautiful combination of dew, juice and caffeine.

It is at this point that we recognize what puppy-monkey-baby represents…the perfect combination.

There are many bad combinations that we must look out for. We can most likely think of more than a few of them readily. These combinations affect the young generation of today.

Did you know that approximately every two minutes, someone is injured in a drunk-driving crash? On average, 28 people in America die every day due to drinking and driving. Our children are not protected from this. In fact, when students get a hold of alcohol, the percentage of drinking and driving increases much higher than for other age groups, for students are often not taught to be responsible.

Alcohol has powerful influence. A vehicle has a powerful punch. Both of these powers are underestimated by students especially.

We need to be more careful to protect our youth as to what they can get their hands on. There are so many ways for young people to have access to things, but by the grace of God, we can detect temptation and protect our children.
We need to show them by example how to live and thrive responsibly in all things.

Social media and public relations…ohhh the amusement I receive from watching school students lift their heavy eyes from the phone screen for a few minutes to engage in a forced social interaction. For some, it’s like throwing a cat into a swimming pool. Can I get a witness?

Why must this be so? Assuredly I say to you, this is a result of an unbalanced, non-detained, disregarded attachment to social media life and phone life.

As per school rule at PGCS (Pleasant Grove Christian School), student’s phones are collected before each day. At first, you could hear the groaning and feel the tension of separation between the two. Given some time, students began to open up and really engage in the world around them. Students now are completely independent from the relational ties of their devices and are socially equipped to function and prosper from day to day.

However, there are not enough programs or institutions in the world to control this daily usage for students; this must also be enforced at home.

When I grew up, everyone did everyone’s homework. My siblings, my parents, we would all pitch in after dinner and get it done. It was good family time. How about no phones while doing homework together?

Let’s put down the phones at the dinner table, or around the campfire, or even when watching TV together. Let’s do things as a family. Together. Undivided attention.

Let’s start working in the home on the inside so we can build a social health for our communities outside our homes.
We can go on all day about bad combinations, but what about some good combinations? We can gather these from the solutions we have mentioned already.

Responsibility, detection, protection, family, social interaction, unity, discipline, boundaries, balance, all of these are good combinations that need to take effect in our society today.

One of the most important things we can do as role models is pay attention. We need to pay attention to the needs of our children. Just as a bowling ball needs to be slung in the right direction to hit the pins, we have got to steer our youth the right way. That takes time and focus, but it is worth every bit of it. In essence, we need to make sure that we are going the right way ourselves.

This brings us to the most important thing we can do, and that is letting God and us be the best combination…ever! 1st Corinthians 13:13 says, “Now abide faith, hope, and love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”

In this Scripture, God gives us three incredible combinations to live by. We need faith to understand God will filter our imperfections out of the way if we let Him. In hope we find peace, knowing God has better things coming our way…ultimately Jesus coming back to get His people. Love binds every good thing together and needs to be the forefront of our daily living. Jesus died for all, if you will just believe in Him as your Savior, you will have everlasting life. (John 3:16)

Jesus wants to fix even the small things in your life, to make your life grand.

Stay encouraged, and God bless.

Isaac Redman is a 22-year-old youth pastor at Pleasant Grove Church. He is a servant of Christ and loves music and the outdoors.