‘I remember…the kindness of thy youth.’ Jeremiah 2:2
Walk into any youth group meeting in the United States and I would bet good money that the level of enthusiasm in the room will excite you. This is certainly how I remember my youth group experience. The initial stages of coming to know Christ are exhilarating. They are times during which we accept His grace with gratitude and a sense of urgency in our desire to serve Him.
Fast forward to that same youth group member ten years later. Life has thrown all sorts of scenarios at that individual. A family has been started and professional success is beginning to materialize. That same appreciation for what Christ does has dulled into a demand for respect and self appreciation. The individual now feels that he/she has served God and the people God has put into their lives and looks for appreciation from God.
What happened? How did someone who was so on fire for Christ fall into this mindset of ingratitude?
I believe that this pattern is all too common. We are given a wonderful confidence in Christ early on, understanding what an honor service to Him is. However, this sense of honor is polluted by egotism as the fire of youth is cooled. We begin to feel that we deserve good things due to our faith in action. When the things that we feel we are owed do not materialize, we cool further to God.
In reality, God has always been there. True, life happens and we should be proud of the manner in which we have handled it through God’s grace. He gives us opportunities to grow through the gifts that He has given us and these opportunities for growth allow us to come to know Him through reliance. We must remember that it is only through Him that we have the opportunities in our lives. We must maintain our humility, above all else before God.
Remember that God wants us to be confident. It is an unfortunate fact that we have such a capacity to forget from whence that confidence comes.
Walk into any youth group meeting in the United States and I would bet good money that the level of enthusiasm in the room will excite you. This is certainly how I remember my youth group experience. The initial stages of coming to know Christ are exhilarating. They are times during which we accept His grace with gratitude and a sense of urgency in our desire to serve Him.
Fast forward to that same youth group member ten years later. Life has thrown all sorts of scenarios at that individual. A family has been started and professional success is beginning to materialize. That same appreciation for what Christ does has dulled into a demand for respect and self appreciation. The individual now feels that he/she has served God and the people God has put into their lives and looks for appreciation from God.
What happened? How did someone who was so on fire for Christ fall into this mindset of ingratitude?
I believe that this pattern is all too common. We are given a wonderful confidence in Christ early on, understanding what an honor service to Him is. However, this sense of honor is polluted by egotism as the fire of youth is cooled. We begin to feel that we deserve good things due to our faith in action. When the things that we feel we are owed do not materialize, we cool further to God.
In reality, God has always been there. True, life happens and we should be proud of the manner in which we have handled it through God’s grace. He gives us opportunities to grow through the gifts that He has given us and these opportunities for growth allow us to come to know Him through reliance. We must remember that it is only through Him that we have the opportunities in our lives. We must maintain our humility, above all else before God.
Remember that God wants us to be confident. It is an unfortunate fact that we have such a capacity to forget from whence that confidence comes.
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