Just finished the lawn—yet again. Mowing is a bit tedious, so I’m trying to get the roar out of my ears by replacing it with a friend’s organ music on YouTube. In the meantime, I stumbled on a choir singing “It is Well with My Soul.” I love that song.
One of the things I liked best about being a youth director was taking the youth to concerts like Winter Jam. We could enjoy about a dozen popular bands for ten dollars, some with great special effects. Disney’s Night of Joy and Universal’s Rock the Universe were also safe places to take a youth group.
Youth for Christ once had an event called DC/LA. I attended twice, once in Washington, DC, and once in Cincinnati, Ohio. In Cincinnati we had our picture taken with David Crowder.
The main reason I took my youth to events like these—along with mission trips, prayer walks, community service events, and Bible studies on top of mountains—is the hope that they would fall in love with the Lord. There is so much negativity and temptation in the world. Without someone caring and leading young people to Christ, they might never know Jesus or appreciate all He has done for us.
Think of the sacrifices the apostles and other missionary types have given over the centuries to reach the lost—from giving up a normal family life to giving up their very lives. The small things many church workers have given up pale in comparison to the martyrs of the faith.
I often think of what I have done for the gospel’s sake, but I also think about how often I have let the Lord down by not accomplishing all I could have and still shy away from. We should want to please God. Unfortunately, we often only try to please Him if it pleases us.
Be both a hearer and doer of God’s Word. Be purely devoted to Him. Let God stretch your faith. It is that important.
Carl Schleede is a writer.