I remember being sat in a meeting for people working in persecuted countries. The subject matter was how to act when under threat. But this wasn’t just about mild threats; this was the threat of being thrown out of the country. How do we act when our very being is offensive to those in power; when the things we believe are considered illegal?
At first I was surprised at the answer that was given, but then I understood. The answer was to do nothing: to continue attending church and to continue daily business. Do not be afraid to show your face in public and do not hide your Christianity.
The reason really made me think: if a missionary was threatened with deportation, and they decided it was best to stop attending their regular church and “lay low” for a while so that they could continue witnessing in such a country, it would undermine their very message! For their actions would speak louder than their words: when trouble comes your way, stop what you do until it passes! Change your behaviour, hide your light under a basket and pretend to be someone you are not.
Our actions do speak louder than words. Our motives can have more of an impact on people than the action itself.
And this is especially true for youth work. Are our actions out of our love for our young people, or out of fear of stepping on the wrong toes? Are our activities designed for genuine enjoyment, or drawn up solely because it’s our job? Are the things we allow and disallow motivated by our passion to follow the life and teachings of Jesus, or by a fear of false accusation and a fear of those in power over us?
Do we really love our youth unconditionally, or are there limits? What message are we communicating?
Every action we do will be seen by others, and no matter how much we tell people to “do as we say and not as we do” they will still follow the example we set. Or just leave, when they realise our mouths and lives are full of hypocrisy.
If we tell our young people not to swear, but swear when they are not around, it will be picked up on. If we tell our young people not to play with the drum kit, but we mess around with it anyway because we are leaders, we should not be surprised at their lack of respect for authority. The authority Jesus had was so powerful because he lived the very words he spoke.
When he said, “Love your neighbour,” he loved even those who would disrespect him. He may have told stories of those who would be “cast away” on Judgement Day, but in his life he even loved those who were socially unacceptable. He upset those who were in power by his strong devotion to his Father’s Will: he did not follow the rules of men, and he didn’t even try to wriggle his way around in an attempt to please God and men. He did what was right and stuck to it.
The question is: do we accept young people more than they accept us as leaders? Do we stick to what is right, or do we bend over to accommodate the rules of men?
At first I was surprised at the answer that was given, but then I understood. The answer was to do nothing: to continue attending church and to continue daily business. Do not be afraid to show your face in public and do not hide your Christianity.
The reason really made me think: if a missionary was threatened with deportation, and they decided it was best to stop attending their regular church and “lay low” for a while so that they could continue witnessing in such a country, it would undermine their very message! For their actions would speak louder than their words: when trouble comes your way, stop what you do until it passes! Change your behaviour, hide your light under a basket and pretend to be someone you are not.
Our actions do speak louder than words. Our motives can have more of an impact on people than the action itself.
And this is especially true for youth work. Are our actions out of our love for our young people, or out of fear of stepping on the wrong toes? Are our activities designed for genuine enjoyment, or drawn up solely because it’s our job? Are the things we allow and disallow motivated by our passion to follow the life and teachings of Jesus, or by a fear of false accusation and a fear of those in power over us?
Do we really love our youth unconditionally, or are there limits? What message are we communicating?
Every action we do will be seen by others, and no matter how much we tell people to “do as we say and not as we do” they will still follow the example we set. Or just leave, when they realise our mouths and lives are full of hypocrisy.
If we tell our young people not to swear, but swear when they are not around, it will be picked up on. If we tell our young people not to play with the drum kit, but we mess around with it anyway because we are leaders, we should not be surprised at their lack of respect for authority. The authority Jesus had was so powerful because he lived the very words he spoke.
When he said, “Love your neighbour,” he loved even those who would disrespect him. He may have told stories of those who would be “cast away” on Judgement Day, but in his life he even loved those who were socially unacceptable. He upset those who were in power by his strong devotion to his Father’s Will: he did not follow the rules of men, and he didn’t even try to wriggle his way around in an attempt to please God and men. He did what was right and stuck to it.
The question is: do we accept young people more than they accept us as leaders? Do we stick to what is right, or do we bend over to accommodate the rules of men?
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