A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away… I was a youth minister. At least it seems long ago. As a youth minister I would occasionally hear negative comments about teens – about their attitudes and disrespect and (fill in the blank with something you’ve heard). And though teens can at times be impulsive, they can also have amazing insights & faith in Jesus.
Almost 10 years ago at summer camp, I wrote down a few quotes that students said during our debriefing time (which often seemed to last until about 1 am!). The insights they shared were quite remarkable.
From a student who was striving to improve his boldness in sharing his faith:
“In Luke, Jesus says, ‘The Son of Man came to seek and to save those who are lost.’ I wish people could say of me, ‘the son of Bart came to seek and to save those who are lost.’” (Brett Carr)
Brett’s brother was in college and led our Bible study time that week. As a teen he had worried that some of his past mistakes could be held against his witness. He stated: “When Paul started his ministry, people who had known him didn’t readily accept his message because of his known past. People who have seen your hypocritical life will always be there, but that should not stop us from living our life in Christ.” (Cory Carr)
Two other quotes from two of the young ladies at camp (I think both were high school seniors that year):
“As ‘good’ Christians, we can become prideful about our good and godly life. Pride in goodness is still pride – we must become humble.” (Beth Floyd)
“We spend time with people who make us feel special, so make others feel special with your life so your life and testimony will impact them and lead them to Christ.”
The faith statements of these four young people give a glimpse of what Jesus Christ can do in and through us, even at an early age. But only if we are open to His influence. Let us never doubt what God wants to teach us through those who are younger and who often have an amazing ability to show great faith in Him!
What else have your children (or someone else’s) said or done that showed remarkable faith or insight regarding his or her relationship with Jesus?
