A couple of days ago I saw a Facebook post written by a friend of mine. She volunteers with an inner-city ministry in the city where she lives, and two of the girls she serves had become Christians the night before. The Facebook post celebrated God’s faithfulness in the lives of those two new believers, and my friend wrote about what an honor it was to cheer on her new sisters in Christ.
Obviously the post made me smile—and even more so when I thought about my friend’s high school years.
My friend’s graduating class had a reputation for wanting to do things their own way. They weren’t always big fans of authority, and although the class was full of delightful people—some of the most engaging, endearing folks you’d ever meet—their group dynamic could get pretty twisted sometimes. They didn’t trust each other very much, and you might even say they battled cynicism.
I know all of these things because I was one of their teachers.
And if you had asked me back then, I would have told you that, based on everything I saw and heard and experienced, I definitely had concerns that some of those kids would self-destruct, that they’d go to college and disconnect from the church, that they’d have little interest in faith or Christian community.
Well, here we are, several years later—and I am happy to tell you that I was oh-so-wrong.
Yes, of course, some remain uninterested in faith. But here’s what has happened with many of those former students: they’ve grown up. In some cases they’ve crashed, burned, and let the Lord put them back together again. In some cases they’ve come to know the joys of genuine fellowship and community with other Christians. In some cases they’ve simply had the courage to live lives committed to doing God’s will.
And I tell you all of that to say this: I don’t know what hard stuff is going on in your life right now, but the way it is now isn’t the way it’ll always be.
Jesus is always in the business of working out a new and different and redemptive thing.
Maybe you’re dealing with a group of friends who can be frustratingly dramatic. Maybe you’re passionate about spreading the gospel on your campus, and you feel alone or even mocked. Maybe you feel called to be a light in a dark place, but you’re discouraged by the complacency and apathy you see all around.
Hang in there. Seriously. Don’t give up. Know that the Lord is working, even if you can’t see it.
The way it is now isn’t the way it’ll always be.
That class that struggled from time to time in high school? Many of them are now world-changers for Jesus. They are loving people, they are serving the lost, and they are making His name known.
So if you or your friends are having a hard time right now—maybe wondering if a surrendered life is worth the sacrifice—let me address those doubts super-quickly: YES. JESUS IS WORTH IT! Trust His leading and His timing.
He’s making a way. He really is. Follow Him.
1. Has there ever been a time when you’ve been frustrated by stubbornness or immaturity, either in your own life or in the life of someone you cared about? Explain how you felt and how you handled it.
2. When you look back over your life, do you think the Lord has refined you more during difficult times or easy times? When have you grown the most in your relationship with Him? Explain.
3. If you could tell someone only three things about Jesus, what would you say?
4. Is there a hymn or worship song that’s a comfort to you when you’re discouraged? Write a stanza or two below.
Today’s Prayer