Many have heard the statement, “You are the church of tomorrow.” While this is a good sentiment, it is not exactly the mindset that we as Christians should have. Most of the time, this statement is said to young Christians during a youth event or maybe in a sermon, but is this what God thinks about the young Christians in the church? In 1 Timothy 4:12, the apostle Paul writes to the young preacher Timothy to let no man despise his youth. Paul is telling Timothy to not let the other members of the church make him doubt his ability just because he is young.
Teens have a natural energy that can’t be matched when they are passionate about something. This energy can be used as a wonderful tool to further the gospel of Christ in this present world. There is a whole world of people that may not be reached by adults, but they may very well be reached by teens their age.
I want you to think about something for a minute. Would you feel uncomfortable if you went to the White House? I’m sure that we all would feel a little out of place in the home of the most powerful man in the world, so imagine how someone in the world feels when in the presence of the greatest being in the universe: God. Now imagine if you went to the White House and you went with someone just like you, but he knew the President; it would be a little different, would it not? We would still feel uncomfortable, but at least we would be going with someone who is just like us.
The same is true for teens. In 1 Corinthians 9:22, Paul said that he became as these different people so that he might save some of them. People tend to flock toward those of a like mind, and if there are some in the church that have the same interests or are the same age, then they have something in common and are more likely to listen. We must never forget the ability that young Christians have to further the kingdom of God. This ability is one that we may not know we have until we are encouraged.
In the Great Commission (Matt. 28:19-20), the Lord commanded the apostles to teach every creature. Not only were they to teach them the gospel, but they were also to teach them to observe everything the Lord commanded them. This also included the command to go and teach. Teens are a part of “every creature,” which the Lord talked about; therefore, we have the same responsibility that every other member of the church has.
If you are a teen reading this article, then never underestimate the impact that you can make. Never sell yourself short. If you are an adult, encourage the young Christians around you to start being active. Let us all be like Jeremiah in Jeremiah 20:9, who could not help but talk about the Lord because God’s Word was like a fire in his bones. Let us always remember who we are and what we can do through God.