Articles Youth Ministry Articles You Matter to Your Schools
| You Matter to Your Schools |
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 By Adam McLane That's plain enough, isn't it? You're no longer wandering exiles. This kingdom of faith is now your home country. You're no longer strangers or outsiders. You belong here, with as much right to the name Christian as anyone. God is building a home. He's using us all—irrespective of how we got here—in what he is building. He used the apostles and prophets for the foundation. Now he's using you, fitting you in brick by brick, stone by stone, with Christ Jesus as the cornerstone that holds all the parts together.Here's a thought that will blow your mind. The God of the Universe chose you to help him build the church in your town. Here's another thought to give you some perspective. The God of the Universe has an enemy, Satan, whose deepest desire is to distract, discourage, debilitate, and destroy you. It's as if Satan has a special department in the community you live in just for that. Just like there is a Street Department and Water Department, Satan runs the Ministry Destruction Department in your town and people like you are his number one project. You have two competing realities. On one hand our loving Heavenly Father choose you to dedicate your time and talents for the sake of reaching and teaching an amazing generation of adolescents. But on the other hand Satan seeks to destroy you and your ministry. While your head may spin with those two competing realities, let's focus on what's really important. Why does Satan want to destroy your ministry? Because you matter. You matter. When you walk the hallways of the schools in which you minister, Satan realizes there is much at risk for him. When people are ignorant of a loving Lord, Satan makes progress. Your goals compete, head on. Satan's tricks and lies can convince students that they are not worthy of being loved; your ministry can demonstrate to them their true worth is so high that the Father gave His Son for them. Paul writes in Ephesians 5:13, "But everything exposed by the light become visible." Jesus is that light. He has chosen you to bring light to the schools in your community. It follows then that in Satan's eyes you are a threat because you can change things, you matter to your school so he attacks. As you minister and share the truth of Jesus as taught in the Bible, Satan's demise begins. As students give their lives to Christ, Satan realizes that he has failed to stop you this time. The fact of the matter? You matter so much that Satan desires greatly to keep you from ministering at the local schools at all. I used to think that I didn't matter to the schools. I didn't think it mattered if I was involved or not, or if I volunteered or not. When I recognized that I had been appointed by God to minister to the students of my local school, that changed everything. That caused me to rearrange the way I thought about my interactions with parents, administrators, teachers, and most importantly students. They weren't just students anymore -- they were people Jesus loved so much that he gave his life for them. With those lenses I saw that my ministry was vitally important! You are vitally important. God has set you aside for this time to reach students through your ministry. Don't give up. Don't get distracted. Don't get disqualified. Don't allow yourself to be destroyed. Be on your guard against that Destruction Department because you matter too much to the teachers and administrators who watch you selflessly give of yourself for people. You matter too much to the students of your community. | |||||||
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