Due to my class schedule at Liberty last semester in combination with my backslidden ways, my passion to reach out to the youth and students was slowly snuffed out--thanks, Satan! However, let me mention that Dr. Brown's Youth Ministry 201 course was by far my favorite college course that I have taken, to date! Doc. Brown...you are the man...and your TA's are pretty sweet, too! Well, family and friends, God has re-ignited the spark and flame inside my heart and soul to, at the best of my God-given ability, reach out to the youth of today.....The Lord knows something has to change with this upcoming generation. My prayer is that He will be able to use my testimony, downfalls, triumphs, trials and temptations, etc. to bring glory to His kingdom and to make a genuine impact in the lives of the youth and students in our world.
"And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me. But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea." Matthew 18: 5-6
You might be wondering, "What changed all of a sudden? How has this spark been re-ignited? What do you plan to do?" Let me explain... My girlfriend, Nikki, turned 21 on April 12th. I purchased a Busch Gardens Fun Card for her and I, which includes unlimited entry to the amusement park until mid-September. Nikki and I decided to take advantage of a sunny and moderately warm Saturday last weekend, by trekking to Williamsburg, VA to get tossed, turned, and flipped by rollercoasters. The majority of the park attendees were middle school and high school aged youth. I was a Freshman in high school the last time that I had visitied Busch Gardens. The thoughts of "Was I REALLY like that when I was their age? Was my mouth THAT filthy? Was I THAT loud, rude, and obnoxious?" came to my mind numerous times throughout the day. My reality check had been served. The sad and somewhat frustrating realization that I did in fact behave very similarly to many of these teens, truly shook me on that fun-filled Saturday afternoon. I do not have children of my own...but whenever God does bless me with a little Jordan or two, I want him/her to be a role-model to their God-forsaken, MTV and Jersey-shore influenced peers. I continuously thought of my nearly three-year-old nephew Eli and six-month-old niece, Liljana...."I don't want them to end up like these kids."
As briefly mentioned in the final sentence of the previous paragraph, I truly believe that the music, television shows, magazines, and media in general, have an unsurpassed influence on today's youth. I can recall a couple of television shows that I watched as a pre-teen and teenager; MTV's Spring Break, Laguna Beach, The Real World and Road Rules, music videos, etc. What are common denominators amongst each of them? Sex, alcohol and drug abuse, materialism, cliques, arrogance, adultery, lust, the list goes on....These characteristics are constantly being poured into the lives of countless children and youth via the "Digital Age" in which we currently inhabit. What does that mean, exactly? Easier access to an abundance of media sources that these students, children, sons, and daughters simply do NOT need uncontrolled and unfiltered access to. Stop and think: Do you REALLY want your child to be influenced by "role models" that our culture depicts via countless media sources?
"Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to sin! Such things must come, but woe to than man through whom they come!" Matthew 18:7
Sunday afternoon, Nikki and I watched a Netflix documentary, based on children whom have had incredibly horrid experiences with bullying, name-calling, etc. That documentary nearly brought tears to my eyes....for several reasons. One of those being that the documentary interviewed several parents that had lost a child to suicide, as a result of constant bullying at school. The other reason being personal conviction for the fact that I can recall being one of those bullies in elementary school. Constantly "picking" on the smaller children, or those that looked more "nerdy". "Wow", I thought to myself, "How did my bullying and name-calling affect my peers?"
I am not sure exactly how God plans on using me to reach out and positively influence our youth of today, whom have an overwhelming need for guidance and direction. I am only a unmarried twenty-one-year-old guy with no kids....but I have faith that God can use me as a tool to positively influence and perhaps spark genuine change and conviction amongst this generation. One thing that I DO know is the fact something has got to change. Our youth has been strayed away from a path and pursuit of righteousness and morality. These children are the future of our nation.
Stay tuned as I seek God's will and provision for my life. For now, I ask each and every read of this blog post to pray for me; for guidance, wisdom, and direction....and to maybe even share this post via the abundance of social networking outlets that we utilize today.
Jordan Piper
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