Ask the Pastor

By Pastor Scott Denham of Harvest Fellowship, Shambaugh, IA
Clarinda Herald Journal Publication Date : 08/23/2006

Stranger In A Strange Land

Pastor Scott,

            “What’s the biggest issue facing Christian youth, today?”

            I posed this question to a teen recently, and she replied, “To be in the world, but not of it.” From my vantage point, I could not have agreed more.

            All other issues are secondary to this issue. Rebellion, partying, and sleeping around--all are symptomatic of those who are “of the world.”

The apostle John, writes; “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him" (1 John 2:15). John refers to “the world” as those values, attitudes, and behaviors, which are contrary to God’s loving wisdom as revealed in the Bible. “Worldly” therefore, is the antithesis of “Christian.”

            Though living in the world, we must live as citizens of heaven. Our ultimate allegiance is to King Jesus. Our culture is the kingdom of God. Our constitution is the Scriptures. Our values are eternal. Our love for God and others has priority over our own needs. These are the ideals toward which we aim.

            If Christian youth (and everyone else for that matter) choose to live up to these ideals, then it will take a genuine, personal walk with God, one cultivated by daily prayer, serious Bible study, and believing friends to help along the way. Church Youth Group is a great place to start.

            Now, to be “in the world” is the mandate of every disciple (John 17:16-21). We are like ambassadors residing in a foreign country. We have different values, a different culture, speak a different language and, though being far from our true home, we carry it in our hearts.

            Christian Teen, you are in the High School, but you are not of it. You must respect and honor your teachers, and be a good fellow student, but as a “foreigner” you are different. Christian culture holds to sexual purity, honesty, and integrity. Your “country” believes that God created all things and that life is sacred. You value forgiveness, kindness, and reconciliation. You are willing to deny your needs for the greater good of others. Life is not about you--you standing in your strength, you plotting your own course. You are on holy mission, set apart as God’s representative.

            Just as every ambassador has the full weight of his nation behind him, every disciple--teen or otherwise--has the support of God through the power of the Holy Spirit to live “in the world, but not of it.”

            --Pastor Scott (www.askpastorscott.com)