What a privilege and honor it is to work for the Lord. Without submitting a resume or walking into a boardroom, God has appointed us co-laborers in His work here on earth. If you linger for too long on what this really means you might become overwhelmed by what lies before us and what’s up ahead. But God, in his infinite wisdom, has made provisions for this. In Romans 8:37 he tells us that we are more than conquerors. In 2nd Corinthians 12:9 He reminds us that His grace is sufficient and that His strength is made perfect in our weakness. But the thought that I find most comforting is found in Jeremiah 29:11 – “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’” That is great news! God assures us that we will not be left alone.
Leading young people is a very unique responsibility. It requires a lot of prayer. The challenges that we are constantly bombarded with are diverse and often requires unique solutions. There is no silver bullet; no ‘one thing’ that we could do that would fix everything. But what we do have to our advantage is a God who is not limited. As we seek to help our friends and family in their journey towards the kingdom, it is vital that we tap into the power made available to us. A successful Youth Department is to know that our young people are in touch with God. As we confront issues and challenges on a personal level on a daily basis, we cannot afford to pretend that we have all the answers. Like those we serve, we too need to be connected. There are not enough books to read or seminars to attend that will provide us with all the tools necessary for success. Success as a team and as individuals come through our connectedness with the Father. My challenge to you is that you:
Purposefully read your bible daily.
Purposefully pray daily.
I have never seen failure where these two items were purposefully present. When we are connected we will be inspired, motivated, creative, passionate, selfless and committed. God has called you out. You have been appointed by Him to be his servant to a group of individuals who have become distracted and have (to a great extent) been disconnected from Him and his church. Let’s lead from the front. Let’s be what we preach.
Isaiah 6:1-8
In the year King Uzziah died, the prophet Isaiah realized that the True King was still on the throne. He saw the Lord, “high and lifted up.” He saw God in all His majesty and glory. What is most interesting is Isaiah’s response. In the presence of God he quickly came to the realization that he is in a mess and he is a mess! The presence of the holy God caused him to see himself as he truly was. God in his mercy cleaned him up, set him straight and then issued a call to service, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” Without hesitation, Isaiah raised his hand and said “Here am I, send me.” It was a divine appointment. In light of what God had done and in the presence of God Himself, Isaiah was moved to give his service to God. As we begin this journey in 2016, I am convinced that the youth of this church are Appointed to SERVE. God is calling us into his presence so we can see our need, for Him to clean us up and send us on our divine appointment. For the next few months, we will challenge our young people to:
SURRENDER to the will and purpose of God in their lives.
EMPOWER themselves & others by staying connected to God through the Holy Spirit.
RESCUE those who have become disconnected and disinterested in the things of God.
VALUE themselves and those they serve. We must raise and maintain a Godly standard.
EXPERIENCE the power, presence and move of God personally and in the lives of the “least of these.”
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