youth worker boost: i didn't know that

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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Then Job replied to the LORD: "I know that you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted.”--Job 40:1-5

For thirty years Johnny Carson was the king of late night television. He hosted The Tonight Show on NBC from 1962 to 1992 and won six Emmy’s for his work. Those of you reading this who are Baby Boomers like me will remember that one of Carson's favorite things to do during his opening monologue was to read something and say, “I did not know that.” Delivered in that unmistakable dead-pan delivery, it was trademark Johnny Carson.

Those of us who work with teenagers are constantly being asked questions about life, faith, and the Bible.

And these days the questions have expanded to world religion, philosophy, and biology! There aren't many people who are authorities on all of these disciplines. And yet we want to be people who help students with the issues they are dealing with. The pressure we feel to know all the answers is born out of such good motivations. But we'll never know all the answers. And that really is OK, even if at times it doesn't feel like it.

In today's passage we see Job readily admitting that he spoke about things to which he was “clueless." Now, we don't want to embrace this philosophy! :) But, it’s okay to be honest and tell students you don’t have all the answers. You may have heard before to tell students "I don't know but I'll get back to you." But when you do this you miss a huge opportunity to encourage them to find the answers themselves. You could even help if the situation permits.In my experience, when you start trying to help a student find answers, you end up discovering some nugget about God and His character that will expand your perception of God.

Not having all the answers is OK. Acting like we do is not.

The sweet spot seems to be getting to a place where you help students become "self feeders" through your support and encouragement.

Our prayer for you: Our prayer for you today is that you would see yourself not as the go-to authority on all things, but as a wise encourager who challenges students to seek God alongside you.

Last Week's BOOST: Brokenness

Next Week's BOOST: Progression

Get more BOOST articles HERE!