(This is an article I had posted several years ago with a few edits and updates.)
One of my favorite areas of working in a church is
discipleship. I don’t care if it’s a new
convert or one of our teenagers, I thrive on spending time with them and
helping them develop a foundation that will stand the test of time. Having done a fair amount of this through the
years, I am acutely aware of the careful nurturing that is required during
those early days of living for God. That
said, I fear too often, we choose to raise our young people with a spiritual
silver spoon in their mouths. We are so
focused on sparing them the scars the world can inflict, that we begin trying
to provide them with a luxurious spiritual environment where living for God is
easy, falling in love with Jesus comes naturally, and for the devil to get to
them he has to cross a deep mote guarded by protective saints armed with the Word
of God.
In our efforts to “nurture” them, we offer them the best
we can. We put them in Sunday School as
soon as they are out of diapers, we provide the best children’s church
possible, then we put them in a youth class until they are in their early
20s. We believe that we are giving them
our best…we are providing years of solid teaching so that they can hide the
Word of God in their hearts…and it will sustain them through the hard days. We want them to be used of God, so we ask
them to be praise singers and sometimes even musicians…but we carefully
schedule it so they are involved infrequently, allowing them to spend the
majority of their time absorbing the presence of God and worshipping unhindered,
thereby ensuring they have time to touch God and fall in love with Him. We believe fellowship with other Godly young
people is important so we don’t expect them to be on the church cleaning list,
help set up or clean up church dinners, or help with the work involved in youth
events…they are just kids, and we would rather the adults do the menial tasks
so the youth can fellowship.
But alas! I fear that by offering them the “best,” they
never have to work for their walk with God.
I have heard so many Apostolic parents say, “I’m not buying my kid a
car. They will appreciate it more if
they have to work for it.” And yet, when
it comes to walking with God, they fail to let that principle apply. The truth is, a relationship with God is
going to mean more to a young person if they have to invest in it. Sunday School is great…but at what point do
we expect our youth to begin transitioning from takers to givers - learners to
teachers? I don’t mean just helping do a
skit sometimes…when do they truly get involved.
I would propose to you today that teaching Sunday School at a young age
is one of the best gifts you can give a young person. By the time they have studied and prepared
for that class, poured their heart into teaching it, and then watched one of
“their” kids get the Holy Ghost this truth will be deeply ingrained in them.
I am a firm believer in giving your musicians, singers,
interpreters, etc a break. If there is
nobody that can rotate with them, require that they attend conferences each
year. Having said that, I have been a
full-time musician since the age of 14.
It is coming in service after service after service after
service…knowing that there is no break…and that if I need something from God
I’m going to have to figure out how to get it WHILE I play an instrument, teach
a class, interpret, etc…that taught me how to push past the obstacles and touch
God. Yes, everyone needs a service or
altar call off from time to time, but we also need to teach them how to use
what they are doing for God as a form of worship and to push their way into the
Presence of God.
I am all for fellowship and Godly friends…but there is a
personal pride in the house of God being clean, a smoothly planned event, or a
fun trip that comes only when you have helped make it happen. If we don’t require our youth to be involved
in this, we deprive them not only of the life lesson in responsibility, but also
the joy in seeing a job well done.
I love our young people…I want to see them live for God
more than anything else in this world.
But after looking at my past, visiting with some others who have had to
hang on to Jesus with everything in them, and then watching the youth that we
have so carefully protected and nurtured, I am convinced that the greatest
favor we can do them is to take the silver spoon away and let them dive
headfirst into the work of God.
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