by Sarah Andrews
Youth ministry has taught me that God calls us to be faithful ministers of the gospel and trust Him with the results. We are to abide in His word, trust in Christ’s finished work and share it faithfully to people around us. We may not know how God will use the seeds we plant, but we can trust that God is sovereign and will work out His plan.
Even if the gospel is preached many times, it is God’s mercy that allows a rebellious heart to be softened. God helps us understand that we sin against Him, are deserving of His wrath, and are undeserving recipients of mercy. Without God, we cannot discern spiritual truths and reject the gospel.
I am greatly encouraged by the preaching of the Word in youth ministry, the discussions we have in small groups, and the fun times we spend with the youth. Kids who have grown up in church may be familiar with the gospel and Bible lessons, but it is God who will convict and bear fruit.
Recently we went to an youth retreat and learned about the power of the gospel. This shapes every area of our lives, from peacemaking and purity in relationships, to suffering in identity with Christ. The youth were challenged to consider what it means to be a true follower of Jesus: do we really love Him and obey Him? Since we have been bestowed with God’s mercies and have a new identity and heavenly home, we owe everything to God. He is our loving Father who knows what is wise and best for us, and submitting to Him is our best option.
When I look back to my time in middle school and high school, I recognize that it was truly God’s grace that brought me to salvation. I was raised in church and had head knowledge of the Bible. Faithful laborers of the gospel such as my parents, church staff, pastors and mentors shared with me the good news of eternal life found in Christ alone. However, I still lived for myself and did “Christian” activities without loving God. I was unsure if I was saved. When I went on my first missions trip before college, I saw what it meant to follow Christ and deny myself. I saw that I rebelled against God, and I wanted to place my identity in Christ and live in the newness of a Spirit-filled life.
God is sovereign and able to do the work in youth’s hearts, and anyone’s heart for that matter. We are faithful stewards of the gospel when we preach the good news and pray that people receive Christ as Lord. It can be discouraging when we don’t see immediate results or people reject God. However we must be faithful to pray for nonbelievers. We also must hold fast to our salvation; Jesus never changes, and He offers the free gift of salvation to all who believe. He sustains us as we are sanctified and become more like Christ. How assuring it is that our salvation can never be taken away!
As believers, we can “offer [our] bodies as living [sacrifices], holy and pleasing to God – this is [our] true and proper worship” (Romans 12:1). It is God’s will for us to humbly serve the church, be ready to do good and pray for one another. We are all God’s servants who have received God’s grace, and we mutually want the church to be encouraged and strengthened. Other people will benefit from our good works in faithfulness to God.
As we serve in our homes, workplaces, schools, neighborhoods and other areas of influence, our labor is not in vain. Let us be a light for Christ in a lost and dark world. We must prayerfully depend on Him to change, save and sanctity hearts. I am thankful to be a part of seed planting in youth ministry, and I pray that God will bring all youth to saving faith in Christ!