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You Kids, Get Off My Lawn!

This little saying was popularized in the late 20th century. It basically refers to a crotchety, old man yelling at teenagers with him thinking they are a bunch of useless kids. The memes or sketches can be funny and sometimes I think I may resemble the old grump. Perhaps you identify as well.

I think about and pray often for our children and youth asking God to bless them. I don’t know all their names, many are new, but I do know most. I watch them weekly seeing how they behave and watching how they are involved in the Lord’s work and it does this old preacher’s heart good. There are ministries that don’t have young people so I thank God for ours. There are ministries that won’t use young people thinking they are not seasoned enough. I understand the seasoning part, but with that said we aren’t ordaining sixteen-year-olds into becoming deacons. We do however let them serve in helping. I want them to get a taste of the joy that comes from working for the Lord.

What do Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, Jeremiah, Zechariah, Esther, Joseph, Ruth, Rahab, Samuel, David, Peter, James, John, Andrew, Thomas, Philip, Nathaniel, Simon the Zealot, Matthew, James the Less, Thaddaeus, Josiah, Timothy, Mary the mother of the Lord and Jesus all have in common? They all began serving God early. Most were teens when they began their journey. A few were in their early twenties, at least one was a small child when he began, and Jesus even started at about twelve-years-old. God uses the youth if they will let him. Paul told young Timothy, “Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word (how you speak), in conversation (how you live your life), in charity, in spirit (attitude), in faith, in purity (holy living).” (4:12). Paul knew the power of youth. He himself began preaching most likely in his mid to late twenties. I want our teens to know several things.

1. You were created by God with a purpose. You are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14). God makes no mistakes. He made you exactly the way He wanted you to be. Hey teen, God made you special. There is no other person on this planet exactly like you and God has a purpose for you. God told young Jeremiah in 1:5, “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.” The Lord knows all about you, He made you, He formed you.

2. You can find that purpose early and you should. David Stanford is a good friend of mine. We have been friends since high school. He has always been a Christian that desired to serve the Lord. God saved him when he was five-years-old. When he was six-years-old the Lord called him to preach. He never wavered. As a teen, he walked with the Lord and had a marvelous testimony all through high school. In college, he walked with God and had a marvelous testimony. He married a wonderful young lady and they have served the Lord in many different ways. They began as missionaries. Then the Lord directed him to work on a church staff in South Carolina. Then the Lord used him to start a good church in Southeast Georgia. Then the Lord moved him to North Carolina and today he works on the staff of a solid church seeking to reach souls with the gospel of Christ in the Carolina’s. It is my conviction that David’s testimony should be the testimony of God’s youth. You don’t have to try out the world, sowing wild oats, and then choose God. Just start with Him early just like the list of biblical characters I listed earlier.

3. When you find that purpose and do it, pleasure will be yours. There is no joy like the joy of serving Jesus. The world offers pleasure and it feels good for a short time but then the emptiness returns and the euphoria vanishes leaving you despondent and lonely. I love the verse in Hebrews 11:25 about Moses. It says about this man “Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;” Sin is fun for a minute, but ultimately it brings death (Romans 6:23a; James 1:15). “We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.”—C.S. Lewis.

As I close this blog, let me list ten Bible verses for you to chase. There are hundreds of verses, but these are some favorites. No particular order, just look at them one at a time and see the promises of God. Romans 5:1-2; Romans 14:17; Romans 15:13; Matthew 25:21; John 16:24; Psalm 34:8; Psalm 37:4; Psalm 144:15; Proverbs 10:28; Nehemiah 8:10. A dear friend that is in heaven today used to say, “It pays to serve God.” He was right. I want our youth to be actively involved in serving the Lord. They need to learn to serve because one day God may have them leading. Instead of throwing wet blankets on their enthusiasm and yelling for them to “get off the lawn” let’s all pray for the young folks that they’ll have a heart for God and they’ll start early.