If you think from the title that this article is going to be about the problems our youth are getting into these days, I'm sorry to disappoint you.
It is easy to hear of stories of how terrible things are going out there in the teen world; we hear about all the drug problems, all the vandalism, and all the violence associated with the teens. I must say if I had to write this article at the beginning of summer it would have a lot to do with all of this stuff, but God is great, and after this last week God showed me just how great teens can be.
Please don't misunderstand, I have always known teens are great people to be around. Having had the privilege of working as a youth pastor over the last few years I can't help but see the good in all of them. Yes, that is right, all of them. It was especially noticeable this last week while hanging out at Clearwater Bible Camp and watching them do great things.
So what happened? A few things come to mind. The first one is learning about the teens that sacrificed their summer to volunteer their time and, in some cases, the wages they could have earned elsewhere to serve in camp ministry.
A second thing I saw was how willing these teens were in serving by doing dishes and cleaning up after other teens; that is something you don't hear of or see too often. The third great thing I saw was how great all the teens got along through out the week, and how well they participated in all the fun and games. It was so great to see.
The Bible tells us in Col 3:23-24:
23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, 24 since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving
NIV
I could not help but notice that this was the attitude of the teens serving this last week. It was so cool to see. You see, it's not all bad. In fact, I bet there is more good than bad out there. I think we just hear more of the bad. I encourage all of you, when you see something good happen because of a teen, let them know. Don't hold it in, encourage them, they need to hear it just like you and I need to hear it.
God bless and have a great week of encouraging one another,
– Wayne Richardson (Pastor), Clearwater Christian Church