Youth Worker BOOST: Hello Neighbor
ym360 knows youth workers. We know what an incredibly rewarding, yet incredibly challenging job youth ministry can be. There are days when your spirits are sky-high, and there are days when you could use a bit of a “pick me up” from God’s Word . . .
That’s why we’re happy to offerYouth Worker Boost, one of the many valuable resources on the ym360 Blog. Boost is a short, weekly piece of encouragement designed to, well, “boost” your spirits and encourage you as you minister to students.
We consider it yet another great opportunity to serve you and your ministry.
“‘Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?’ The expert in the law replied, ‘The one who had mercy on him.’ Jesus told him, ‘Go and do likewise.’”–Luke 10:36-37
The parable of the Good Samaritan is one of Jesus’ best known stories. A man walking the long, downhill road from Jerusalem to Jericho is attacked by bandits and left for dead. Both a priest and a Levite passed up the opportunity to help out the man.
But have you ever asked why?
Some Bible commentators suggest that Jesus may have wanted to point out hypocrisy in the situation. If the man had been dead and the religious leaders touched him they would be ceremonially unclean and restricted from going to the Temple to worship.
Maybe Jesus was pointing out the hypocrisy of refusing to help someone in need in order to have the privilege of worshipping at the Temple. Jesus said the greatest commandment is, in short, to love God and love people. Worshipping God and ministering to the needs of people go hand in hand. Jesus wanted His followers to have a great relationship with God, but He wanted that to be played out in our day-to-day life by loving our “neighbors.” And as youth workers, the most common neighbor we encounter is probably between the ages of 12 and 18!
As you go about the practice of “doing ministry,” don’t ever forget that one of the primary means of ministering to students is dealing with their hurts and meeting their needs–emotional and spiritual.
Our prayer for you:
We pray that you would have the chance to meet the needs of your students, and when the chance arises, that you would have the compassion, the vision, and the strength to meet them.
Encouraged by today’s Youth Worker Boost? Don’t keep it a secret! Pass it along to a fellow youth worker or your adult volunteers. Share the love!
Look for a new Youth Worker Boost each Wednesday on the ym360 Blog.
Last Week’s BOOST:Rental Faith
Next Week’s BOOST: Inside Out
Get more BOOST articles HERE!
