Youth Worker BOOST: A Good Conscience

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 offer Youth 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.

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"Timothy, my son, I give you this instruction in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by following them you may fight the good fight, holding on to faith and a good conscience. Some have rejected these and so have shipwrecked their faith.--1 Timothy 1:18-19

Every boat needs an anchor. Whether it’s a 50,000 pound anchor for a cruise ship or an old crow bar for a small fishing boat, the purpose is still the same. Every ship needs some type of weighted device to keep it from drifting aimlessly in the water or from being pushed around by high wind and/or waves.

So what does a good conscience have to do with an anchor? Glad you asked.

Paul urges young Timothy to cling tightly to both his faith in Christ and to his clear conscience. Scholars believe the conscience Paul speaks of here is that part of our spirit that keeps us aware of our sin. To violate our conscience is to know what's wrong yet do it anyway. OK, so, again . . . what's the connection to the anchor? See, faith is the boat we travel through life in. A good conscience is like a good anchor. Without the anchor of sin awareness Paul says our little faith-boat would be shipwrecked. What a great word this is for those of us who have students, volunteers, parents, and so many others watching the paths our boats travel!

So, let your conscience be your guide. As long as it's a conscience grounded in Jesus Christ and fueled by the Spirit!

Our prayer for you: Our prayer is that your faith would be a disciplined faith, one that trusts God for life's provisions, and seeks to live according to His ways.

  Last Week's BOOST: Foundations

Next Week's BOOST: Chosen

Get more BOOST articles HERE!