Encouragement from a Bold High School Sojourner

Tuesday morning, I led the orientation for the summer missionaries that are serving in West Virginia. As I got to know these students and their stories, it was remarkable the connections we had in common. One young lady attends Troy University and knows a former student from my student ministry in Oneonta. Another young lady attends The University of Alabama (I guess she had no where else to go) and also knows a couple of my former students from Oneonta. A third young lady attends the University of Mobile and knows a friend in the ministry from . . . you guessed it, Oneonta. I have no doubt that this was a reminder that planting your life in a community really does make a difference in your ministry.

As encouraging as these connections were, nothing could prepare me for the overwhelming encouragement and blessing I received from an upcoming senior in high school from Georgia. This young lady is only seventeen years old and is 500 miles away from home. She committed to serve the summer in West Virginia without the comforts of home. Why? Last year, she attended a PowerPlant Mission Trip in West Virginia and God gave her a passion for West Virginia. Shortly after that trip, she searched ways to come back and serve in West Virginia. So, here she is, giving her summer as a missionary to West Virginia. What courage!

However, the story does not end there. Though she attends a wonderful church in Alpharetta, Georgia and has a strong support system from her student ministry, her parents are not followers of Christ. In her words, her family "just doesn't want to talk about religious things." Her parents are not hostile to the Gospel, they support her involvement in church and her decision to serve as a summer missionary. They are just not interested or concerned about spiritual things. Her goal as a summer missionary is to reach as many people for Christ in West Virginia as possible, but she also hopes that her experience here will allow her the opportunity to tell her parents about Christ.

Wow! This young lady has absolutely no spiritual support from her parents and still has given her life fully to Christ! What an indictment on many young people (and adults for that matter) in our churches. Serving in several churches as a student minister, I was constantly blown away by the apathy of many teenagers who had strong godly parents. However, I was even more discouraged by teenagers who used the lack of spiritual example from their parents as an excuse to live a lukewarm life.

So, what can we learn from this young lady? Here is what she taught me: the extent of which you follow Christ comes from your personal passion for Christ! Being a true Christ-follower is not based on a godly pedigree. It is not based on a heritage of strong ministries. It is not based on golden opportunities to stretch your spiritual wings. It is not even based on the depth of preaching you submit yourself to. Being a true Christ-follower is based solely on your personal passion for Him. Everything else is circumstantial. It is about passion. As Luke 14:25-35 reminds us, without passion for Christ, we cannot be followers of Christ.

My heart is thankful from this young sojourner from Georgia. She has encouraged and challenged me to be more passionate for Christ.

Wow, I used to spend my life teaching teenagers how to follow Christ and now a teenager teaches me.

I have truly been blessed this week.