Every Christian has a purpose and that purpose is a personal ministry to walk along side of the lost folks in our lives and show them Jesus in a practical and loving way. We have to actually walk the walk and not just talk the talk.
There are some things that really upset me in this life and times. I am upset at some of the music that folks listen to - I am upset at some of the things they put on TV today... - I am upset with people just living for themselves and not giving a -bleep- about anything else other than how they are doing, how they feel, or getting what they want from something or someone.
But as a follower of Jesus - we have to go to those hard places where these people are. We have to communicate on their level so that we can be on their level. We can't show the love of Jesus to our teenagers if we can't communicate with them. They will not come to our level but we have to go to their level, speak on the terms that they are communicating today, and speak their language. Is that scary at times? SURE THING!
Why is a 42 year old dad and husband bothering with a childrens ministry at church? Why am I so passionate about those kids and spending time with them? Why do I invest my lunch hours in the schools visiting kids and having lunch with them? Why am I thinking about investing more time in our Youth Group (project 252) at church?
I will tell you why - I am going to have a teenager soon. Kyle is 10 and kids mature and grow up much faster than when we were kids. I need to know the things that kids are facing today. As a parents I need to continue to learn to communicate with my son - I need to learn to communicate with the kids I am investing in, those kids I am at lunch with, those kids that I am sitting with down on the floor mats and getting them excited about Jesus and His church on Sundays. I need to learn how to communicate with the child that has just lost her mother or a father to cancer - I need to learn how to feel the pain that one "MyKids" deals with everyday because her dad walked out on her. I need to learn what to say when a teenager comes to me and wants to talk about something that they don't feel comfortable talking to their parents about.....
We have to relate and learn to be at the level that people are at in their lives. We can't share Jesus with them if we aren't. A lost teenager doesn't give a crap about what Jesus did for them on the cross when they don't even believe that God is real. If I talk about the blood of Jesus they will be thinking that Jesus had an operation or something.
Over the last few months, I have opened a MySpace account. 42 year old guy with a Myspace account. I still can't believe it. After the death of my sister n law - I need a way to communicate with my neice. I love my neice and I am willing to go to the place where she communicates - where she does her life - even if that is through texting and myspace. I am not checking up on her or pounding her for what she is doing wrong. It is not that in anysense whatsoever! I have to go that place so that I can walk along side of her, remind her that I am there for her, tell her I love her over and over again - to show her the practical love of Jesus and live that example. Otherwise I will never reach her. Jesus may never enter her heart unless He gets of hold her some other way and a way that may not be what we would all want. God has that ability to get our attention real quick!
Friends, we have to be willing to go to those places that are hard to reach people for Jesus. We can't just push them aside, call them sinners and unbelievers and walk away from them. We have to associate ourselves with others, not just our church friends, our small group families and other followers of Jesus....we have to take the message outside of our comfort zones and get the "Good News" into the hearts of those around us.
I will continue to go into the schools and invest my lunch hours with those kids. Not only am I investing in them but also their friends. They too will get to see the practical love of Jesus. Has that been tough in the past - you bet! Parents asking why I am there when I don't have a child in their son or daughters class. I cannot have lunch with this child because its disrupting and some rule says I have to be a parent in order to have lunch with the child. I am getting parent notes being sent in for permission, I have GREAT teacher friends going to bat for me so that a child will have someone to have lunch with. I was heartbroken last year learning that a few of "MyKids" had never had someone come and eat lunch with them. That just really breaks my heart. I am willing to go to those hard places because Jesus has told me that is what I should do.
It brings me more joy along the way than I EVER would have thought it could.
My MySpace account will be used for the glory of God. It will be used to walk along side of my "Friends" and the people I meet there. Meet people where they are ....... so that God may get the chance to get to their hearts. To let them know that someone is with them and they have a friend. Someone who cares and loves them because God loves them.
You wont find me sitting on the back row in our childrens ministry - I am there down on the mat sitting with those kids, down on their level - is that scary? You bet ............ but there is no other place I would rather be.
I was recently asked if Kyle could get a myspace account - I thought how scary that is going to be when we cross that point but the reality is parents - if we say NO - guess what...they will find a way to get it. If we tell our kids they can't do something,,,, guess what - they want it even more and it will happen. We need to get our heads out of the sand - talk to our kids and engage them on their level. If they have questions - answer them - hit it head on and point that conversation towards Jesus after answering their questions. If God is moving in your life and real in your life - You will do anything to get Gods message across.
May Jesus move you out of your comfort safe zone today - for Him.
Love you all,
Lonnie~
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