by: Mark Lenentine
We hear almost weekly of terrorists ignorantly “sacrificing” themselves to do damage and violence for their god. Not only are these people completely misguided, they are also heavily demonic. Our world is becoming more poisoned everyday by those few whose value for life is so small that they would take lives as well as their own life in the name of some ridiculous cause or false god.
It’s not really hard to determine logically that this destructive behavior is wrong, backward and completely perverted. As absurd as their actions are, Christian young people can be tempted and influenced, in a small way, with similarly flawed thinking.
Let me explain myself. Too often we see good young people being trained in good churches and being brought up in good homes with good parents (sound like maybe you?) who develop a very non-Christian view. They won’t necessarily turn their back on God; rather, they just slowly drift away from Him, especially in the few years immediately following high school.
The flawed idea is that even though they have been trained better, and in some cases even had a specific call from God on their life, they set their mind to spend a few years “living their own life” saying things like, “I will serve God AFTER I do this.”
We see many examples of this in the Bible. Take, for example, the prodigal son. I don’t believe he was a bad guy. He was raised in a good home by good parents with great principles. He just wanted to “set out on his own, a little bit,” you know, “live his own life.” I don’t think he ever intended to get as far away from home as he did. I am convinced he never intended to ruin his name and the good name of his father – IT JUST HAPPENED. What was the danger he failed to see? (Sometimes you and I also fail to see.) The danger was that you always drift farther than you intended to drift, you never stop as soon as you purposed to stop, and you WILL ALWAYS do more damage than you ever thought you would or could.
Perhaps the greatest example of wasted potential in all the Bible is Samson. He had great parents, a good upbringing, and a very specific and powerful calling for his life. Sure, he did some impressive things like kill a bunch of Philistines with the jawbone of a donkey and the time he carried the gates of the city to the top of a hill BY HIMSELF! But as cool as any of that was, he never even came close to living up to his potential. Sadly, when he had had his fun, “lived his life” and got his girl, he finds himself tied between two posts in the temple of the Philistines as a laughing stock to a whole crowd of the enemies of God. As he’s slumped over there realizing that his life is close to an unfulfilled and disappointing end, it suddenly hits him…I WANT MY LIFE TO COUNT FOR SOMETHING!
So, he implores God for the strength to perform an amazing and miraculous feat of power. God in His goodness visited Samson with His presence one last time and Samson brought the house down (quite literally).
Judges 16:30 says, “And Samson said, Let me die with the Philistines. And he bowed himself with all his might; and the house fell upon the lords, and upon all the people that were therein. So the dead which he slew at his death were more than they which he slew in his life.”
It is kind of a bittersweet moment because as you read the story and rejoice that God used Samson in his dying effort, you also pause to remember that it was never supposed to end this way. Sure, it is a blessing when God’s people serve Him in the end, but what about all the time in between that was wasted “living their own life?” Yes, it’s a tremendous blessing when someone who has wandered from God returns! But, speaking to young people, I pray that you are challenged to never have to return because YOU NEVER LEFT! May it be said about you that you lived ALL your life for the Saviour!
Our God isn’t calling His followers to mindlessly die for Him in some fiery last effort as do the followers of some false gods. No! Our God calls us to LIVE for Him.
Romans 12:1 says, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice…”
God gave you His greatest gift when He gave you His Son. The greatest gift you can give God is your life – ALL OF IT. God can use anyone who has been through anything, but wouldn’t it be best to not have to give God the broken pieces of a life half-wasted living for self? Would you regret drifting from God and returning only to have a part of your life left to live for Him? Wouldn’t you rather give God ALL of you?
Remember, you only get one life, one small vapor of a moment to give everything you have for the cause of Christ. Why waste any time following those things that are not eternal?
Samson may have given his dying effort, but will you give the Saviour your living effort?
Mark Lenentine
Youth Pastor
Gospel Light Baptist Church
Rio Rancho, NM