We Won’t Waste Our Youth

Resolved, That I will do whatsoever I think to be most to the glory of God, and my own good, profit, and pleasure, in the whole of my duration; without any consideration of the time, whether now, or never so many myriads of ages hence. Resolved, to do whatever I think to be my duty, and most for the good and advantage of mankind in general. Resolved, so to do, whatever difficulties I meet with, how many soever, and how great soever.

Hard to believe that those are the words of a 19-year old, isn’t it? But then again, why is that so hard to believe? Young people are passionate and excitable. It is easy for them to get fired up over things. Why should they not get fired up over serving God?

I’m tired of selling them short. I want to challenge them to be young men and women of God. I want to challenge them like Paul challenged Timothy. I want to challenge them like Jonathan Edwards challenged himself in the resolution above (and the 69 that followed it).

Throughout history, God has used young men and women to turn the world upside-down for Jesus. He used Edwards in the Great Awakening. He used Lottie Moon in China. He used a group of students praying in a field next to a haystack to ignite the modern missions movement. Why can He not do the same thing today? Why are we as adults not expecting Him to do the same thing today?

I do. And I believe that He will.

1 Timothy 1:18-19