I love my Mid-high youth. They just fill me with joy, and
un-ending laughs. Tonight, I learned that I can”NOT” trust them though… (See video)
On a more serious note,
“Is it ok if I let you walk all over me?”
Jacqueline Whittaker stands at a
good distance from the stage. Her goal is to leave the place she stand and step
upon the stage. She cannot touch the ground. The rest of the group is in a line
leading to the stage. They are free to help her, but cannot leave their spots.
Immediately, these middle school
youth begin to lay down head to toe, one behind the other. They lye down and what
happens next blows my mind. They invite Jacqueline to walk across their backs
to get her to the stage…
I am amazed as I watch this young
group work together. So willing to lye down and help Jacqueline out. Their goal
was to allow her to accomplish her goal.
Romans 12: 1
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of
God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to
God.”
“Holy”, it means to be set apart,
set aside, different than the rest. Paul urges us to offer our bodies as living
sacrifices that are holy. He is
not telling us to die, or where fancy garments like the “Holy” Pope. No, he is
telling to be middle school youth. He is telling us to recognize what God’s
will is! (Rom. 12:2 Then you will be able
to test and approve what God’s will is, His good pleasing and perfect will.)
God has a plan, one that He wants
us to be a part of. He wants to know us, wants to have that personal
relationship with us, wants to bring us into eternal life. We can be a part of
that plan. We have an opportunity to be “living
sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God”. It is simple, die/sacrifice your
will. Test God’s will, see what it is, and make your life holy/set apart to
join in on His plan.
The question is, are we willing to
lye down, and let God walk all over us?
I know 9 middle school youth that
are…
Pray with me:
“Father,
we come to you tonight, hungry and desperate to be yours. Knowing full well the
sacrifice you made, and the debt we owe you. It’s not one you demand of us, but
it is one that we long to pay back. Teach us tonight, teach us this week, what
it means to lye down and let you walk all over us. Father break into our lives
and use us as we become those “living sacrifices” that Paul calls us to be.
That our will would die, that our desire would die, that our goal would die,
that all we claim to be and hold onto would die and our lives would be holy.
Teach us what it means to be set apart, set apart from the world, set apart
from the lies, set apart from complacency, set apart for greatness, for the
kingdom, for the love, for the one true and living God. Dance on us, walk on
us, use us tonight Lord. We lye down for you…
In Jesus name,
AMEN!!!
