Securing the Hearts of Our Youth…Part 2

As we consider the importance of ‘securing the hearts of our young people’ for a life of faithful service, let’s continue to investigate the components of this pressing topic.  Digging deeper into the question at hand, we turn again to examine the previously mentioned, three basic elements of securing their hearts.  Together, I believe that each of these will help us in mentoring our youth.

To review ‘Part 1’, let’s reiterate the importance of a faithful example in mentoring our youth.  Consistency and faithfulness on an individual basis is important.  But next let’s consider the wisdom in the old saying, ‘You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink.’  So if the time of establishing expectations is passed and the individual choice is in place, we have to ask the burning question; “If I can’t make a horse drink the water, what will make a horse drink?”  Here in lies the second method of training up and teaching our young people faithfulness.  A horse lead to water will drink…when he’s thirsty.  An understandable conclusion, but what indeed makes a horse WANT to drink?  A thirsty horse is one that has been working.  We must provide opportunities and for our young people to get involved in the work of the church.  There are vast areas where we expect work to be done around the church building and within the church family.  So who will do the work?  Often it’s easier to hire out the work to be done (missionaries, janitors, etc.) rather than putting the onus of responsibility on the family.

We live in a modest home in north Dallas with a good size yard on a corner lot.  One look around the house and you’ll find we have lots of grass to mow in both the front and back yards.  But who will do it?  For several years I hired out the work to a local lawn service.  They made it look easy and quick (actually they were much quicker than me) and the cost was minimal.  But then my oldest boy turned 12.  My wife and I quickly realized that the monthly cost for mowing could be put toward a new lawn mower and some yard accessories and then he could work with me mowing the yard.  But it wasn’t easy at first.  My son had to be trained.  There were times I was frustrated and could have simply told him to step aside and let me do it.  (Actually, that was said on more than one occasion.)  However, if he was to learn to serve the family and ultimately be able to do work in the yard by himself, he had to be taught, trained and provided the opportunity to ‘get involved.’  Let the young, baptized men of your congregation go to work serving.  Train them to read scripture and serve on the Lord’s Table.  Teach them, as Christ did, how to pray.  Show them how they can lead (yes…even the song service).  Let the young ladies get involved too.  Teach them how to teach in the toddler’s classes.  Introduce them to building bulletin boards or even baking unleavened bread.  Give them opportunities to be involved and start getting thirty.  But you know…training will take time and energy.  So ask yourself the question; “Do I really want the help secure the heart of our youth?”  If we want our young people to grow into a life of faithful service, we must we willing to do what it takes to mentor them into serving.

How shall the young secure their hearts and guard their lives from sin?  Next time we’ll look at the third and most vital of all elements when it comes to preparing our youth.  You’ll remember…“Thy word the choicest rules in part…”  See you next time!