Some Teens Challenge Me About Covetousness

Something To Think About, Intelligence, Envy, & Covetousness:

I frequently go into houses much bigger and nicer than the lovely home where my wife allows me to live.  Some of my friends have newer, more manly trucks, and hotter cars, than what I drive.  Some of my fellow DIY enthusiasts have tool collections that are impressive, both for quantity and quality.  Mostly, though, I don't struggle with envy about those matters.  Where I have to sit myself down and give me a good talking-to is over the matter of intelligence.  I'm blessed a good utilitarian mind.  Most of the time, by God's grace, I can get-r-done.  Since the work I do involves ideas, thinking, organizing and making persuasive presentations, I frequently spend time--even if only by way of books, articles, and blogs--with people smarter than me, sometimes way smarter.  By the way, I think it is smart to do that.  Sometimes, though, as I read some author who refers to scores of books--books that aren't short and that are devoid of pictures--which he/she obviously has read, understood, and remembered, or when I walk with someone through a brilliant analysis of of a complicated Biblical or Theological issue, I have to push back covetousness.  How come they get to be so much smarter than me?  I know that some of these folk's brilliance comes from discipline, and many years of dedicated study, but I look at some of what I read and realize that I have no more chance of being on that level than I do of being a star in the NBA.  For those of you who don't understand sports analogies, that would be ZERO. I want to thank some local kids for challenging me, reminding me, and helping me to realize that my worth is not determined by my IQ any more than it is by how many square feet my house is or how many horsepower I take out on the road. In a world where decisions of worth and pecking-order are often made in a cut-throat manner, a group of students got it right.  They realized that just because someone is better looking, smarter, richer, faster or stronger than somebody else, that doesn't make them worth any more.  These students chose someone from a group that is often looked down on, and gave him a turn in the spotlight. What they did was right.  They honored this young man because of something he is.  He touches the lives of others in meaningful ways.  I'm sure it was a great encouragement to Chris.  What the students at Alleghany High School don't know is they were a challenge to me. They reminded me that envying what others have and who others are won't get anything done.  Using what I have and who I am to the glory of God can do more than I can imagine.  Chris, fellow students at AHS, thank you.  Lead on.  Use what God has given you for His glory. I think the rest of you can figure out how that applies to you. It's STTA. David shared some thoughts about God's sovereign control over the way he was made.  You can read his thoughts in this beautiful Psalm.

TEENWEEK

For most of my 64 years I have been involved in TEENWEEK.  TEENWEEK is a several days long activity for--as the name would imply--teens.  They do all kinds of fun things like, play games, hang out with friends, slide on water-slides, get into a mud-pit, etc. etc.  Here are a couple of videos that shows some of what is going on at this week's TEENWEEK:  here and here. TEENWEEK is the largest assembly of young people between school terms here in our little Mountain community. I feel a bit like a parent watching a grown-up child succeed.  I didn't really startTEENWEEK.  What I did was shamelessly copy TEENWEEKs that others held in other places.  My brother-in-law, a youth pastor, ran a very effective program.  My boys profited greatly from attending it.  They would come home and tell me about stuff Uncle Van was doing, and I'd incorporate it into our program.  I am very pleased that this hyped-up Vacation Bible School for teens is still an effective ministry. Several years ago I got out of the TEENWEEK business.  A group of energetic adults from the sponsoring churches took over and have taken the program beyond what it ever could have been with me running it. One really, really, exiting feature of this week's TEENWEEK actually began last week.  A young man, a TEENWEEK graduate, and his wife decided it would be a great idea to get a group of high-schoolers together for Bible study and prayer in anticipation of this week's big event.  I was privileged to meet with them one evening. Wow! One of the things they decided to do is to meet early every evening, at the venue where that night's TEENWEEK activities will take place, and pray.  These are like my TEENWEEK great grandkids.  The young man I mentioned, his dad came to know the Lord as a result of TEENWEEK.  You know how we grandparents are when it comes to bragging about their grandkids and great-grandchildren.  Let me simply say, "Lead on, kids."  Here are some young people who have come to realize the truth articulated to, and through, the Old Testament prophet:  "Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the LORD of hosts."  (Zechariah 4:6) Kewl! It's STTA:

Something to Think About for April 25, 2014:

Something To Think About, Teens, 4/25

Gray haired, bad-knee-ed old preachers like are expected to say things like, "I don't know about these kids, today!"  Well I don't.  Just look at some of the stuff I see these kids posting on their Facebook pages: One young person had had a rough day--a rough day because this student is seeking to live for the Lord. ". . .  people can be rude and disrespectful toward our faith, but don't let that anger you. Forgive them . . .  and pray that they realize what they are doing. Take it in stride, and DONT let this anger you."   Another teen ad this to say about the seriousness of one's faith: "It's important to me to study my bible . . . it's also great to be in a church . . . [that helps] me better understand it. . . .  how blessed I am to be in a country where I can go and learn about God's word freely." Another young person did what an old hymn challenges us to do--"survey the wondrous cross." "The Messiah . . . was put on a cross to be tortured, mocked, humiliated and ultimately murdered. The real suffering was for our sins . . . God could not look upon his son because of our sin. We were bought with a price!" Here are three young people who are seeking to walk with and grow in the Lord.  They are representative of many.  I don't know about these kids.  It is yet to be seen what God will do through them. It's STTA.