Some in today’s Church believe that teenagers cannot be trusted with God’s work. They argue points like “Teens are too emotionally immature,” or “Teens can’t grasp the importance of Bible ministry,” or even things like “Teens can’t be fully committed to Christ,” or “Teens will lead others astray.” While there are certainly teens for whom each of those accusations might be true, there are two logical reasons why such arguments fail: First, do we assume that all adults in ministry are sufficiently mature to pass the standards against which these folks would measure teens? And if all teens should be prohibited from ministry because some are immature, then wouldn’t all adults be prohibited by the same principle? Second, is it not grossly unfair to paint all teens with those brushes? Many students today have committed their lives to God and are struggling, just like you and me, to push that commitment into every area of their lives and ministries. God has blessed many churches and ministries with many such students, and these students are the foundation of the youth ministry they’re growing. Beyond those logical questions, we must yet ask, “Is such ministry biblical?” Does scripture ever show God using youth to accomplish His will? I’d suggest that God has used, spoken through, or lead His people with young people. Samuel, David, Mark, maybe even Timothy, spoke for God, lead armies, or taught Christians along with their elder counterparts. God called the prophets Jeremiah and Ezekiel before they were born, and called them to their posts while they were quite young. Daniel was a young man when he was promoted to the highest advisor post in Babylon. Esther and Mary were used by God while quite young. It seems clear that achievement of age is not the sole requirement for ministry. The Bible rather insists on a set of character qualities needed for all ministers, no matter how many birthdays they’ve seen in their past. One such quality, the Fear of the Lord, is essential to success for any minister, young or old. Every minister must recognize that he must ultimately give an answer to God for the ways in which he serves. It matters not if he teaches truth or lies, has integrity or lacks it, serves others or manipulates them, or promotes unity or sows dissension, every leader, teacher, pastor, or overseer will give an account to a righteous, holy, all-seeing, all-knowing, peering-into-the-deepest-crevices-of-the-human-heart God. He will judge with perfect judgment. Every minister, youth or adult, must submit his service to Him. In addition to the Fear of God, there are many other qualities to visit in future posts. Father, give me eyes to see the true calling you have for me, then for everyone around me. Help me live according to a right and appropriate fear of You. Then help me help others live according to a right fear of You.
Month: July 2010
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Grace? According to Performance?
A simple yet profound puzzle in scripture is this: Grace is a gift, not given for performance or merit. Yet only the humble can get it. The proud are instead resisted, seemingly not able to get it. So if grace is a gift, then how come one must be humble to get it? I imagine two sailboats. Grace is the wind, continually blowing across the lake toward it’s destination. One boat has dropped her sails. The other has set hers, now billowed out by the wind. One boat moves quickly through the water in the direction offered by the wind. The other is blown grudgingly, sluggishly, barely moving. What if humility is nothing more than hoisting our sails into the advice, counsel, and will of God? What if pride is the refusal to do so? Doing the first will surely lead us where God’s advice, counsel, and will intend us to go. Doing the other (refusing to do the first) will leave us stuck, floating where ever we dropped our sails, save for the sheer push of God’s grace which cannot help but force us along, resisting our commitment to stay stuck. In a practical sense, each time I am presented with any situation or circumstance, I am given two choices from which to pick: 1. I can use this situation to live and serve God and His purposes, hoist my sail, follow His instructions for how to live in this circumstance and go where He intends me to go. 2. I can use this situation to do and accomplish less than above, and have God’s grace push my stubborn self along anyway, but have little to no joy in the ride. How many of us excel at pulling down our sails regularly, hoisting them only in safe, predictable, or “let me not have to grow or change too much” situations? Father, you know my heart. You know my tendency to hoist and drop my sails according to my comfort, my fears, and my approval or disapproval of where you’d take me. Give me the courage, the faith in your goodness, and the confidence in your absolute love, so that I might leave those sails up and commit myself to always catch and live by your advice, counsel, and will. Always. Grant that I might to see my pride, my stubborn resistance to you and your advice, counsel, and will. Grant that I might willingly let it go. Help me be what you want me to be, do what you want me to do, and go where you want me to go.
