It's amazing what happens when you combine these two together. I have come to learn that often times it is not enough to merely speak about Jesus, people need to see Him in action. The proof is in the pudding; if we want teens to take their next steps in following Jesus, they need to see what that looks like firsthand. I was reading a book the other day and these words stood out to me: "People can't see God. People can't see Jesus. People can't see the Holy Spirit. But people can see people that follow God. People can see the church." This is why it is so important for our actions to match up with our words, especially with teens watching.
A lot of people are taken back when they hear of the staggering statistics of teens and young adults dropping their faith. But if we truly looked at the root of the issue I don't think we should be surprised at all. Why would teens want to be a part of something that is commonly known for its hypocrisy and condemnation. There are many self professing Christians who cannot hear the cries for help in around them because they are so closed off to anything or anyone different than them. Please don't get me wrong, not all Christians are like that. But in a world where everything is publicized, they are usually the ones getting all of the media attention.
I had a conversation with a 17 year old boy who told me flat out that he has lost his faith in the Christian religion. He believes there is something higher out there that has been shaping his life but he has such a distaste for Christianity and wants nothing to do with it. The reason? He saw how Christians reacted to his gay cousin when he finally came out about his sexuality. What people [Christians] shared and what they showed didn't match up. But here is the glimmer of hope in the story: he said he lost hope in religion, not God. He lost hope in people, not God. Why am I saying all of this? Because teens need what we have but sometimes struggle to give. When we share Jesus and show something different, we are giving teens a glimpse of messy religion. But when we share Jesus and show who Jesus is in our actions, we are sharing something that gives life and hope.
At the Point YM it is our mission to share and show the love of Jesus with every student and partner with them on their next steps journey in finding and following Christ. Notice it doesn't say anything about flashy programs, smoke and lights, or massive budgets, and it certainly doesn't give a list of things we are against. In the last few months we have had story after story of life change in the lives of our students, each one brings tears to my eyes. They all can be traced directly to interactions with leaders and parents who share and show the love of Christ.
What areas of your life do people need to see a little less of you and a little more of Jesus?
