Today we are going to dive into an interesting topic: how to be thankful for the blessing we have in teenagers. I know at times they can frustrating, they can be difficult and they can make us want to pull our hair out as youth pastors, but we understand the potential and the opportunity we have through those teenagers. So let’s think through and look at today, what is it that we should see as a blessing? What are the blessings of these teenagers?
The first thing is to understand their worth, their value. We’ve got to identify their worth, and so it is important for us to understand that they have purpose. God created them just like they are: unique, eccentric, all these different characteristics that we have in our youth ministries – these students have worth and value. As Ephesians 2:10 says, “We are God’s masterpiece, His workmanship created anew in Christ Jesus to do the good works He planned for us long ago.” In Psalm 139 David understood that God formed us in our mother’s womb and has formed these students exactly how they are, and we need to find that worth and how important they are, not only to our youth ministries but to our churches, to our communities and really to the Gospel to reach the ends of the earth.
All revivals you look at over the years – spiritual revivals, spiritual awakenings – have come from teenagers. Jesus Himself chose teenagers, young men to take the Gospel to the ends of the earth. These men, these boys who came and followed Jesus are the reason we know the Gospel truth today. And so we have to identify that worth, see that they have purpose and get them to understand that purpose. They are vital and important to our student ministries, our youth ministries and our churches.
Not only do we need to identify their worth, but we need to invest in their life. No greater blessing comes than when we invest in the life of teenagers. When we get to know them, when things get messy, get crazy, get chaotic and we get to see who they are, we invest our time with them. Not only do we see their purpose by identifying their worth, but we get to see how much they enjoy life. So as we invest in their life, as we invest in them they become a blessing. Paul saw that in Timothy. As Paul invested his life in Timothy, Timothy became a blessing, became an encouragement to him as he continued to invest in his life. It is so important for us to understand and invest our life in them, because the more we invest the more of a blessing they become. I know all the students that I have had over the years are a blessing in my life. Some have given me more headaches than I can count, but they’re the same students that I look back and am so thankful that I was able to invest in their life – that short time God gave me to invest in their life, to see them following after Christ today. So it is so important for us to understand that.
But the last thing for us to truly understand their blessing and how important they are to us and to our ministries is to intercede on their behalf. The more we pray for our students, the more we pray for these teenagers, the more they’ll be on our hearts, the more they’ll be a part of who we are, and the more we’ll understand how truly blessed we are to have them in our lives. That’s why it’s so important that we identify their worth, understand they have purpose, they have a great purpose. God has created them for who they are. Not only do they have purpose and they have value but also we need to invest our time and energy in those students, no matter what it takes, because we understand they are a blessing for us and for our ministries and for our communities.
So the last thing, most importantly, is to intercede, to pray for them – to pray for their lives, pray for guidance, pray for protection as they continue to go about their days. The things they face today are so much more than we could ever imagine as students ourselves, as teenagers ourselves. So I just want to encourage you to understand how valuable these students are and how much of a blessing they are for us individually, for us as a church, for our communities and really for this world for the Gospel to be spread. It’s going to come from these teenagers who are passionate and zealous for everything and so genuine and so true. So remember to identify their value, invest in their life and intercede on their behalf.
