I’ve recently (this summer) started volunteering at The Bridge – a ministry to area youth. You can read more about that ministry, here. Basically, we just hang out with kids.
These kiddos…eh-hem…I mean, budding young people, are trying to figure out how to navigate life, and they’re looking to us (the older, wiser, very awesome volunteers) to figure out what that looks like. Yikes! How do you minister to teens – especially ones who maybe don’t have great examples of right and wrong at home? Do I yell at kids and teach them impatience? Do I act disinterested in the tortuous meanderings of their Middle School lives and teach them that they are unimportant? Do I tell them not to do something without explaining why and teach them that the reason for doing the right thing is not as important as just following the rules?
Today, God bopped me on the head with a bit of truth. He is always faithful to bop me (gently, this time). He pointed out all the parallels to the stuff I wrote up there.
Let’s take it from the top.
First. Jesus came to earth just to hang out with us – to teach us about himself and his Father. Do I have better things to do on Wednesday and Saturday nights, like sleep, do laundry, read a book, or watch movies with friends? Sure. “But I do it because I love these kids,” I think as I pat myself on the back. Did Jesus have better things to do than come to earth to hang out with us? Uh, yeah! He was spending eternity at his father’s right hand, ruling heaven in eternal splendor before he stepped down from his throne to become a helpless baby. He did it because he loves us.
Next. How did Jesus minister to us? Did he do it by reading us the Ten Commandments and then threatening us with negative consequences if we broke them, teaching us that by our own merit we make our way to heaven? No! He led by perfect example, teaching us to be like him. Then he willingly walked forward into his own murder so that we could spend eternity with him, not by any accomplishment of our own, but because of his merciful, unselfish grace.
My heart has been with teenagers for a long time. What God plants as a desire, He also gifts us to do. What He gifts us to do, He also equips us to do. After equipping me for this task, He also taught me about Himself. What a kind God we serve!
Going green,
-Andrea
November 14, 2011 at 1:58 PM
Love this! Love what you're doing at the Bridge... "What God plants as a desire, He also gifts us to do. What He gifts us to do, He also equips us to do." Love that! So helpful. Thanks for sharing! :)