THE POSSIBILITIES OF YOUTH

Jeremiah 33:1-34:22; 1 Timothy 4:1-16; Psalm 89:1-13; Proverbs 25:23-24

“Then this message came to Jeremiah from the Lord: ‘This is what the Lord says: If you can break my covenant with the day and the night so that one does not follow the other, only then will my covenant with my servant David be broken. Only then will he no longer have a descendant to reign on his throne. The same is true for my covenant with the Levitical priests who minister before me. And as the stars of the sky cannot be counted and the sand on the seashore cannot be measured, so I will multiply the descendants of my servant David and the Levites who minister before me.’”

“Teach these things and insist that everyone learn them. Don’t let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity. Until I get there, focus on reading the Scriptures to the church, encouraging the believers, and teaching them. Do not neglect the spiritual gift you received through the prophecy spoken over you when the elders of the church laid their hands on you. Give your complete attention to these matters. Throw yourself into your tasks so that everyone will see your progress. Keep a close watch on how you live and on your teaching. Stay true to what is right for the sake of your own salvation and the salvation of those who hear you.”

“I will sing of the Lord’s unfailing love forever! Young and old will hear of your faithfulness. Your unfailing love will last forever. Your faithfulness is as enduring as the heavens.”

“As surely as a north wind brings rain, so a gossiping tongue causes anger!”

Most of us don’t give our young people enough credit. There’s no question they are coming into their own in the world at a very tough time. We have left them a mess. Jobs are scarce, and finding a mate is fraught with potential hazards we did not even dream of when we were dating. True enough, some are bitter and feel disconnected from the world, and it’s hard to blame them. But on the other hand, it has been my privilege to see a number of young people face the world with energy, enthusiasm and courage. They have no plans to let circumstances intimidate them. Their every intention is aimed at fixing the problems they encounter, and they are actually excited about having the chance to do it.

This kind of youthful exuberance could easily be dismissed as the ravings of immaturity by the crusty souls of my generation. In retrospect, it’s hard to believe any generation has ever advanced civilization so far with technology and the like yet actually advanced things so little. We’ve come dangerously close to screwing up everything we were given, including our own accomplishments. So, our jaded outlook is also understandable. But we sin egregiously when we attempt to pass our cynicism and our sarcasm on to the next generation. They deserve better. They need our hope and encouragement.

Paul and Timothy understood well the conflict that can arise between the enthusiasm of youth and the staid nature of the “Old Guard.” As big a mess as we have created, we are still reluctant to let go of control and let the youngsters run things. Some of us sit in sanctuary, for example, steadfastly resisting the efforts to bring “contemporary” services to our churches because we fear the drums, keyboards and guitars will erode the holiness of worship. We forget that our own services actually may be alienating those who can no more relate to the old hymns than we can to Christian rock. The only true advantage one style has over another is that one got there first. We got used to one way of doing things. We freeze out anything that is different. So Paul justifiably instructs Timothy, “Don’t be intimidated. Go ahead and teach. Be an example. Be passionate. Stand true.” Good advice for the next generation, too.

As a Dad, I often find myself tempted to be the voice of caution to my kids. Sure, there are times they can benefit from lessons I learned, but overall, I think I usually end up crossing the line between wisdom and meddling. I’m beginning to think the world has changed so much that there is a serious possibility some of my more practical advice may be outdated. (Perish the thought!) In any event, as I have experimentally backed of the role of Patriarch and allowed them the freedom to make mistakes, I see maturity and grit developing in their character. Sometimes, the worst thing a parent can do is protect their kids… unless they go to even greater lengths to protect themselves from kids.

Perhaps this is why the Holy Spirit allows His kids – us – to struggle so. As a loving Father, it cannot be easy to watch us stumble and fall and hurt ourselves. But as I have become fond of saying, they won’t believe it if they can’t live it, and they won’t live it if it doesn’t work. Our kids need to test their wings, and we need to give them that chance, even when it threatens us. Maybe we need to respect our kids more, too, and free them to do and be what they think they are actually called to do, instead of so often putting down their new ways of thinking and looking at the world. Part of any recreation is developing a new way of thinking. It’s just possible that, as Old Testament faded into New, so our old ways have run their course. Maybe it is time the world actually experienced some youthful reinvigoration. Let’s try listening to our kids for a change and see what we learn. At the very least, I'm betting they will benefit more from our loving support than from our war stories and alienation.