The Value of Our Young People

by Bob Blouin

Who will carry the torch for you once you have gone to your eternal reward? Do you have a goal in place? Are you training anyone up in the way that they should go? Any coach, supervisor, or commander prepares his team members to take his place one day. Just as these leaders must train someone to take charge, leaders in the church must do likewise. To do nothing towards this end would be negligent at best. Let us consider the youth amongst us.

God chose kings Amaziah when he was just 25, Solomon at 20, and Josiah at 8. Paul was approximately 30 when he wrote his first letter to the young evangelist, Timothy, who was roughly 17 years of age. The apostles ranged in age between 15 to 30. If God could see what good could come from those yet in their youth, should we not also recognize the value of our own young people? The answer is “Yes.”

To those of us whose birthdays are before 2005, please do not forget that you, too, were once in your formative years. Let us encourage our young people with sincerity of heart with words like: “We understand you want to feel a part of your society. We want to teach you the joy and value of Christian society. We love you and want the best for you.” John tells us in 1 John 5:1, “By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments.” (NKJV) Yet, how will they know His precepts if we do not teach them and prepare them? Deuteronomy 6:5-9 provides just the answer. We shall teach them when they rise up, when they lie down, and at every opportunity. Should we not further the spiritual education of our youth? (Proverbs 22:6) Do we not desire the church to continue its growth through our young people? Does God not tell us older people to teach the younger generations? (Titus 2:1-9) Again, the answer is an undeniable “yes.”

Those of the younger generations desire to establish their Christian legacy. They long for our attention, and want to express their power, strength, and determination. They want you to be heard and taken seriously. Let us test them. Let them prove themselves. Let’s work together to teach them God’s will.

Those of us of the older generations desire to leave our Christian heritage. We would say to the youth: “Hear me patiently, young people. I have learned and experienced much and want to impart to you my wisdom before I go to my reward.” Let’s teach them to be self-controlled, sound in the faith, not slanderers, but righteous, to remain obedient, and to show themselves to be a pattern of good works. (Titus 2:1-10)

We will do well to consider the value of our young people, for God already has.