Here is an excerpt from a book I have been writing, For This Generation: A Transformation From Death to Life. Please check it out and tell me what you think. Thanks! God Bless!
In the present world an increasing number of our youth are leaving the local church after reaching what is known as “the age of accountability.” It seems that they have no interest in God, the church, or anything having to do with their spirituality. In the last ten to fifteen years there has been an increase in the number of children who have little to no desire to attend church. If asked some will say, “I go to church, but I only go because it’s Sunday and that’s what you’re supposed to do on Sunday!” I don’t know about you but it makes me scratch my head in wonder. Where do they get this kind of thinking? The more I think about it, the more it becomes obvious that the finger is pointing back to me, an adult, who happens to be seasoned in the Word of God. Whether you are a seasoned worker in the church or a lay person who happens to be an adult, you too, should be scratching your head in wonder, asking yourself, “Do we have any input in this matter?” I’m sure you’ve seen the recent decline and have thought to yourself, “What’s going on?” Otherwise you wouldn’t have picked up this book. Maybe you are youth leader, teaching your heart out, and nothing seems to be working. Maybe you are a parent, like myself, who has a burden for your children. Maybe you are a frustrated Pastor in a local church and are wondering what else can be done. Well, whatever your purpose for reading this book, there is one simple explanation: Desire. A desire and an ambition to see the children of this world grow into the spiritual giants that the Lord, Jesus Christ, intended them to be. So many of today’s youth are hurled into the abyss of non-conformity to the church and are becoming so easily conformed to the things of this world. There is so much that God, the church, and Christians, true Adult Christians, have to offer. Their offerings are far more pleasing and gratifying than anything that this world could ever offer. I know, having fathered children at an early age, how important it is to be ambitious and unselfishly desiring to give my all to, not only God, but to those who are watching our every move: children. Remember that the moves we make are the same moves that are children will emulate. Whether they are our biological children or children within our church, we must set the stage for their continued growth. The Bible tells us to, “train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” (Proverbs 22:6 KJV) It is amazing how adults use this verse, and others like it, to get children to follow the Bible, yet they forget that these watchful little ones only act as we do. At closer glance, we may find the difference in the things we say, the things we actually do, and what it is that the Bible instructs us to do. How soon we forget that part of our training. Training implies teaching, not dictation, but emulation: Remember they are watching. This brings to memory a poem my youngest daughter gave my wife for Mother’s Day some years ago entitled When You Thought I Wasn’t Looking: When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw you hand my first painting on the refrigerator, And I immediately wanted to paint another one. When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw you feed a stray cat, And I learned that it was good to be kind to animals. When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw you make my favorite cake for me, And I learned that the little things can be the special things in life. When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw you make a meal and take it to a friend who was sick, And I learned that we all have to help take care of each other. When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw you give of your time and money to help people who had nothing, And I learned that those who have something should give to those who don’t. When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw you take care of our house and everyone in it, And I learned we have to take care of what we are given. When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw how you handled your responsibilities, even when you didn’t feel good, And I learned that I have to be responsible when I grow up. When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw tears come from your eyes, And I learned that sometimes things hurt, but it’s all right to cry. When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw that you cared, And I wanted to be everything I could be. When you thought I wasn’t looking, I learned most of life’s lessons That I need to know to be a good and productive person when I grow up. When you thought I wasn’t looking, I looked at you and wanted to say, “Thanks for all the things I saw when you thought I wasn’t looking.” **Author Unknown** Talk about watching and training! My oldest son wrote a paper, some years ago at a time in my life when I wasn’t serving the Lord. I don’t recall every detail, but I do remember the lesson I learned from it. In this note my son said, “I want to be a father who provides for his family, who is always there for them, one that would never drink or do any illegal drugs, and I would never make my children afraid of me.” These days a note like this may not sound out of the ordinary, but it showed me what it was that my son saw in me. It showed me everything I was to him, and everything he didn’t want to become to his children. I am so thankful to God for allowing my son to think like this at such an early age because it relayed a hard and lasting message to me, one that still haunts me to this day. Regretfully, every story doesn’t end with a “happily ever after,” and this is the reason we, as Christians, must allow the Holy Spirit to lead our lives. If the children are thinking like this outside of the church, what do you think they are thinking inside of the church? Prayerfully, these pages will help to resolve and encourage us to become a more focused people, ones more focused on the youth, inside and outside of the church. There are so many haunting questions, but one in particular echoes in my soul: Why? There are many answers, but let’s just focus on one, prayerfully, the reasons will help to draw a feasible conclusion. Often times parents, saved and unsaved, send their children to church unsupervised and alone, leaving their precious little ones vulnerable to imminently be exploited by these trusted community churches. Sad as it sounds, it’s true! We have all seen this phenomenon occurring in the youth ministries of our local churches. The children are dropped off or ride the Sunday school bus or van, with no accompanying parent to nurture their impressionable minds, leaving them at a great disadvantage. Fortunately, we can aid them spiritually for a few hours a week, but unfortunately, we must send them back to a place with little or no spiritual support. Therefore, it becomes the responsibility of the church to capitalize on these opportunities, sharing with them the things of God in every aspect that we can and at every angle that the Holy Spirit provides. We can not waist the time that God has provided, our time, or the time of these little ones. We must not continue bringing them into the church to tell them cute little stories, to parading them around the church in their cute little dresses and suits having them say a scripture or sing a song, while all the time not instilling the importance of living for God and by the Word of God, and mistakenly thinking we have done something so special. In all truth, we know that we haven’t spent any time in prayer for them nor do we believe there is any depth in what we have them say or do. Failing to realize that we have done them and ourselves more harm than good. Most of all, we are dishonoring our Lord
© All Rights Reserved by Agape Christian Fellowship of Friends Ministries, Founder-Keith Wilson, Sr. | | |
|
Follow this blog
