pure: a meditation for youth workers
My Desire
I desire to be used by God: to be used powerfully and to great effect.
I desire to be used by God: to help find many who are now lost.
I desire to be used by God: to love because I was first loved.
I desire to be used by God, but am I willing to pay the cost?
2 Timothy 2:20-21 (NLT):
In a wealthy home some utensils are made of gold and silver, and some are made of wood and clay. The expensive utensils are used for special occasions, and the cheap ones are for everyday use. If you keep yourself pure, you will be a special utensil for honorable use. Your life will be clean, and you will be ready for the Master to use you for every good work.
If God came over for dinner I’d most likely not be cooking… I’d hire some fancy chef. But I’d definitely be using the fancy dishes, the heavy cutlery, the clean glasses, because he is the King of kings and the Lord of lords… because he is worthy. The same is true in our day-to-day living: God will only use worthy utensils. Worthy utensils are men and women who are pure and clean.
It is up to me to keep myself pure and clean: v21, “if you keep yourself pure”. If I am not being used by God because of impurity, I have only myself to blame.
Orthodoxy compels orthopraxy. That is, correct belief compels correct action. “Everything in moderation” is not a biblical principle: there are correct actions and incorrect actions. We must heed what Paul says in v22:
Run from anything that stimulates youthful lusts. Instead, pursue righteous living, faithfulness, love, and peace. Enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts.
Now, few of us live in a monastery or a convent, so each of us must daily work out how to realise these commands in the mess of real life. It isn’t easy, it’s not blank-and-white, but it is essential if we want God to use us to save souls and nurture those young in the faith.
We youth workers have been given a high and holy calling. We are part of a long line of teachers of the Truth that goes back millennia. We must ensure that the line doesn’t end with us; we must see our role as teaching future teachers. And not just by cramming doctrine, principles and truth into their heads. We must also show them how to apply all this stuff. We must live it out before them.
There are always going to be some who don’t listen or are disruptive or scoff, but read on from v24:
A servant of the Lord must not quarrel but must be kind to everyone, be able to teach, and be patient with difficult people. Gently instruct those who oppose the truth. Perhaps God will change those people’s hearts, and they will learn the truth. Then they will come to their senses and escape from the devil’s trap. For they have been held captive by him to do whatever he wants.
That is our goal: that, through us, God would change the heart of every young person in our care so that they know the truth and believe it. But more than that… that they would be transformed in every area of their life.
Psalm 15 is a favourite of many, and it’s interesting that it talks so much about how life is lived.
Who may worship in your sanctuary, Lord?
Who may enter your presence on your holy hill?
Those who lead blameless lives and do what is right,
speaking the truth from sincere hearts.
Those who refuse to gossip
or harm their neighbors
or speak evil of their friends.
Those who despise flagrant sinners,
and honor the faithful followers of the Lord,
and keep their promises even when it hurts.
Those who lend money without charging interest,
and who cannot be bribed to lie about the innocent.
Such people will stand firm forever.
So, now I finish where I started… only this time I must answer the question…
My Desire
I desire to be used by God: to be used powerfully and to great effect.
I desire to be used by God: to help find many who are now lost.
I desire to be used by God: to love because I was first loved.
I desire to be used by God, but am I willing to pay the cost?
…?
