Embracing and Following our Youth

I can remember as a teenager always getting annoyed at older folks for always assuming when they saw me and my friends hanging out in a parking lot that we were up to trouble. I was a good kid and my friends were good kids, but it seemed like no matter what, when gray-haired folks saw us they figured we were up to no good. Something funny happened to me. Somewhere along the way a few grays began to pop up on my own head and suddenly I find myself fighting the inclination whenever I see a group of teenagers to assume trouble is brewing. I don't know when it happened, but at some point I became a "lame, old person."

We can't help it, I think, to be skeptical of the younger generation. They do tend to demonstrate a naive arrogance and can get loud and boisterous from time to time. Nevertheless, despite a few shortcomings, the younger generation is a tremendous and vital asset in the life of our church that we cannot do without! Sunday evening I had the unexpected pleasure of having two teenage guys come into my office and sit down to talk. I figured they just wanted to chat and shoot the breeze and then, all of the sudden, something funny happened. They began to express to me concern about the outreach of our church and how could we be a more missional church. I was shocked and delighted! I mean here I had two guys whose combine age was still less than the median age of our church and yet the wisdom and conviction in their voices was well beyond many I've met in my years in ministry.

We will have plenty of time as a church to discuss our mission, but my point this morning is simply this. Paul writes in 1 Timothy 4:12, "Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity." Paul is urging Timothy to demonstrate his calling and not allow older folks to prevent him from fulfilling the call he had received. This is only half the formula, however. Part of Timothy's demonstration of his gifts required that the church whom he served allow him to do so, and not just allow him, but embrace and follow his ministry.

We must not only allow our younger members to be an active voice in our church, but we must be ready to embrace their gifts and follow their lead. Have you ever considered that a teenage could help lead you in your calling? I don't see any reason why they could not? They have the same Spirit as you and I, do they not? They have the same Saviour and Lord as you and I, do they not? They have the same calling, why then do we treat them as second–tier members. Resolve today to pray for our young people and think about how you can not only help them to grow but how they may be able to help you as well.