Food for Thought Friday - Next Generation

Purpose. Everyone wants to have a purpose in life. Everyone wants to make a difference. Everyone wants to be looked at with significance. Everyone has that standard that they strive toward. But here's the question. How many people actually strive to reach that standard? How many people actually take the time to realize the importance in that? There's a vital note that people commonly forget. And it's this - There's only ONE you. You need to make the best of it! You need to build up your security and be yourself. Know who you are in Christ and how He views you as a loving Father. Then, once you're confident, you need to make a courageous step and grow a stronger, more intimate one-on-one relationship with Christ. Keep in mind, we can NEVER know everything about God. There's always something new to learn, to discover and to live by. After you feel confident with yourself and your relationship with Christ, it's time to prepare for action. It doesn't matter how old you are. This is the exact point I'm trying to make with this post. If you are a tween, teenager or young adult, you ARE the Next Generation. We are the future music artists, politicians, doctors and authors. The people who will grow up and influence this country...this WORLD for better or for worse. It's our responsibility to take a stand for what we know is right. For the truth. WE hold the responsibility to make disciples. No. It's not a matter of if you're going to grow up and be a pastor or a missionary. Quite the contrary in fact. We are called to make disciples regardless of who we are. Leading people to Christ. Being His light. How can we do that? Well, one thing is to make correct decisions. Nobody's perfect but let's use music as an example. I"m sure a lot of you can relate to this. Say you're hanging out with a friend who is an unbeliever. They're going to watch what you do. You, at that point, become the example. If you listen to music talking about inappropriate subject or contain a lot of bad language, what kind of example is that? Even the way you dress can speak a thousand words. Ladies, modesty. Clingy clothing and revealing stuff that draws attention to yourself is going to show that you don't care about modesty. According to the bible, we're supposed to be modest. In this day in age, it's taken so lightly, people don't think it applies to them when really, it does. We need to decide which is more important to us, Trending or following God. The answer should be evident. As the next generation, don't let your shyness get in the way. Accepting Jesus as a whole is a HUGE step. But you need to be ready to step out of your comfort zone and make some more huge steps. Sometimes, you're even the example towards other believers! They might look at you and your relationship with Christ and want more! They might consult with you for advice to have the same relationship. Ministering to people that way and helping them grow doesn't just benefit THEM. It also benefits YOU. Shining your light in this world often affects people far more than you know, but in the process, it also changes you as a person...for the better. Here's how I want you to look at ministry. Look at it as changing the world, bit by bit. Sometimes that's simply being there for a friend who's going through a lot. Other times it might be just helping stack chairs in church. If only a few people do this, how many people will follow the lead? But then, what if a lot of people did this? What if thousands of people across the world took a stand and led the change? We ARE the Next Generation and it's our responsibility to change the world one step at a time. Will YOU lead the change? ~KJ