A
YOUTH IN THE COMMUNITY
Memorise
Remember
not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions: according to thy mercy
remember thou me for thy goodness’ sake, O LORD.
Psalm 25:7
Read
Ecclesiastes 12:1-7
1 Remember
now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the
years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;
2 While the
sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, be not darkened, nor the clouds
return after the rain:
3 In the day
when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow
themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those that look
out of the windows be darkened,
4 And the
doors shall be shut in the streets, when the sound of the grinding is low, and
he shall rise up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of musick
shall be brought low;
5 Also when
they shall be afraid of that which is high, and fears shall be in the way, and
the almond tree shall flourish, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and
desire shall fail: because man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go
about the streets:
6 Or ever the
silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken
at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern.
7 Then shall
the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God
who gave it.
Message
A youth can be defined as a young man or woman who
is strong in body and sound in mind. Youths make up the bulk of a typical
community. Ideally, youths are the men and women of war. A man of war is an
instrument of both protection and destruction. He protects his friends but
destroys his foes (1 Samuel 17:33). The best time to be focused in life is the time
of youth. It is the most productive period in the life of a person.
Lamentations 3:27 says:
“It
is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth.”
It should be noted however that youths have their
limitations. Though they are strong, energetic and sound in mind, they have
their weaknesses. For example, many decisions that a youth will take will
require the counsel and probably the assistance of elders, so as to avoid
blunders. Are you are a youth? Don’t forget that you need valuable advice from elders
(Proverbs 20:29). The time of youth is delicate. Youths can fall and fail if
they not careful (Isaiah 40:30). If care is not taken, the young can be used in
the community by evil-minded people as miscreants to perpetrate mischief and
unleash terror on innocent persons. Youths need guidance because of their
inexperience (Proverbs 2:16-18). Young people are often despised, looked down
upon and disdained (1 Timothy 4:12). They are also susceptible to temptation,
thus, the best time to give appropriate guidance to a person is in his or her
youthful age. Also, the best time to remember God is at the period of youth
(Ecclesiastes 12:1). Young people make up the bulk of the society and they are
the ones that bring about its growth. Are you a youth and a child of God? You
have a crucial role to play in your community. First, it is your duty to love
your community and have its best interests at heart. If you do, you will pray
for your community (Luke 18:1). Go all out to seek its welfare. Secondly, as a
youth, you can contribute greatly to the growth of your community by bringing
in new ideas. All developed societies utilise their young people to the
maximum, harnessing their energy and innovation. Youths generate modern and
creative ideas. They are strong and can be given any assignment, being at their
productive peak. As a Christian youth, you can be an asset to your community
when you live holy and submit yourself to the Holy Spirit. Are you an elder?
Encourage the youths in your community to maximize their potentials. Pray for
them. Guide and counsel them to be committed to God’s agenda.
Action
Point
To be an asset to your community, be committed to a
Christ–like pattern of living, and commit yourself to people and God’s program.
BIBLE
IN ONE YEAR
2 Samuel 14-15
Proverbs 12:1-14
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