“Let no one despise our youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.” (1 Timothy 4:12)

One thing I am passionate about is Youth. Young people are the treasure in God’s Kingdom. And yet, they can also be the most challenging demographic to reach. 

Before we can disciple young people in the things of God, we must first be able to win young people over. 

I have worked with young people for nearly 30 years now and I have seen that teenagers respond to two things: Love and respect. 

We all know how to love. Most parents love their children naturally. Church leaders, we definitely know how to love. So I want to focus on respect today.

We have always believed this: Love picks youths up by their weaknesses, but Respect releases them in their strengths.  

More than love, young people want respect.

Respecting them means we are willing to call out the good qualities we see in them and then release them in their strengths. We don’t look down on them or belittle their abilities. Instead, respecting youths means we affirm their strengths and help create a place in church for them to serve with their gifting.  

Like the Bible says in 1 Timothy 4:12, Let no one despise your youth. Let’s respect them.

Empower the young people around you and you will be amazed by the fresh touch and new changes they can bring to your team.

When change comes from the top, it is a Renewal.
When change comes from bottom up, it is a Revolution.

We older people must allow change and even actively encourage change. We don’t want change to come from the bottom up. We don’t want a chaotic revolution; we want a renewal!

Give them a voice, give them a vote

When we engage the young, as much as we want to change them, we must allow them to change us, too.

Respecting them means listening to their views and allowing ourselves to be changed by their valid point of view.

Let the young people around us inspire us with their godly examples. 

Don’t just invite them to the party, give them a seat at the table. Give them a voice, give them a vote. 

Respecting the youth also means that we Empower and not Overpower them.

When you walk into a room with young people, empower them. Empower them by asking them questions. Get to know them better, draw their thoughts out of them.

One question I have always asked young people when I meet them is: What is your dream? What do you dream to do for God? 

That helps me see whether I can help make their dreams come to pass. 

Let’s stop forcing our man-sized armour on young people. Instead, let them tell us about their five stones and their sling.

Let them tell us about the lion and the bear they killed. Let them tell us about the songs they wrote while they turned a desert into a spring. 

Coax them to share with us how they see themselves coming out of the backyard to the frontline when the prophet is ready to anoint the next king.

Believe me, the young people will let us dominate a room because they can be very polite.

They will let us be the brightest ones in the room and control all the conversations.

But the thing is, If we overpower a room and don’t empower the young people, we will be the ones with the most to lose. 

We would have just lost out on a chance to listen to them, spot the next king David or the next leader or the next pastor.

The next time when we walk into a room with young people, instead of laying a red carpet for ourselves to walk on, lay a bridge instead and let the young people walk over to us.

Ask questions, empower them to share. Empower and Don’t Overpower.

That is how we win young people for Jesus!

Let us pray:

Father, I just pray for every pastor, every leader, every adult who loves young people. Even as they open their hearts and church doors to young people, give them wisdom to know how to empower and respect the young.

And I pray for every youth in Singapore that even as they walk into our churches, they will rise up to be the leaders of today, not just tomorrow. Thank you, Jesus.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Reflect

1. How can you give more respect to the young people in your life and church?

2. What questions can you ask young people to draw out their thoughts and insights?

3. How can you change to better empower young people? What areas can you allow young people to change in you?

Pray

1. God has a plan and purpose for every young person (Jeremiah 29:11). Pray for the youth you know to have a deep desire to seek God’s purpose for them and live accordingly. Pray over their friendships, that they choose their company wisely. And that they guard their eyes and hearts against carnal influences.

2. Pray for the anointing power of the Lord to fall on the youths in our churches, that their zeal to live and witness for Christ supersedes any other passion they have. Pray that they will step up to lead their peers to rise above the chaos of today’s world to look upwards to God’s holiness and hope.

3. Pray to have a desire to respect, cheer on and partner youth in God’s Kingdom plan, so that both generations thrive in each other’s company and through each other’s prayerful love and support.

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