Youth Worker BOOST: The Rule Keepers
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.
"You hear, O LORD, the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry, defending the fatherless and the oppressed, in order that man, who is of the earth, may terrify no more.”—Psalm 10:17-18
If you have brothers and/or sisters you know that there is always one sibling in the family who is the rule keeper. Maybe it was you! The rule keeper is quick to point out when dos and don’ts have been broken. To them, being a good and honorable family member means to keep the rules.
Somewhere along the way we have put this rule keeping thing at the very top of our list of things that identify a good Christ-follower.
Have we forgotten the things Jesus said were the marks of one of His devoted followers? Jesus made it clear that our motivation shouldn't be meticulous keeping of rules, but should instead be to live as He lived. To be salt and light. To be reflections and imitations of God in this world. This looks a lot of different ways. But one of the major themes we encounter throughout the entire Bible is the idea of looking after those who are in most need of our affection and attention.
Instead of our energy being given over to compulsively keeping rules, Jesus emphasized actions like taking care of those with the least social standing, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting those in prison, bringing justice to the oppressed, etc. Jesus believed in certain rules, but he preached that true holiness is found, in part, through ministering to "the least of these.”
It's vital to model for our students what it means to live holy lives motivated by our love for Christ, not by a misguided legalism.
Our prayer for you: Our prayer for you today is that your actions would be motivated by a godly compassion for others, not by a sense of legalistic moralism, and that your life would truly reflect Christ to a world in dire need of Him.
Look for a new Youth Worker Boost each Wednesday on the ym360 Blog.
Last Week's BOOST: The "Wow!" Moment
Next Week's BOOST: Impulsiveness
Get more BOOST articles HERE!
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