Before It All Began

Isaiah 49:1-7

As a minister to young people, one of the things I strive to remind them is that they are perfect exactly the way they are. There is nobody they have to make happy by pretending to be anyone, or anything, other than who they are. Those who love them, really love them, will love them regardless of their looks, grades, or personal achievements. Of course, those who truly love them want them to succeed, and at times we, especially those of us who are adults, make it seem that unless they are perfect in every area of their lives they aren't worthy. The truth is, however, that those of us who love them will continue to love them regardless of those things.

I also remind the young people I talk with that it has been this way since before they were born. Sometimes, especially as they become teenagers, it might seem that less and less people understand what they're going through, and there's a lot of truth to that. As adults we really don't know what our youth and young adults are going through. However, some of the reason we don't know is because either the adults are too busy to listen, or the teens don't open up.

This is when I remind them that there is one who always understands what they are going through. I encourage them to remember that we have a God who will never stop loving them and is always available to listen to whatever they are going through. There is nothing, I say to our young people, that can separate them from the love of our God.

I also say to them that as young people they are trying to find their way through a difficult time in their lives. They are at that age where they want to make their own decisions, but are still being guided by parents, coaches, teachers, and mentors. My answer to that is usually to get used to it, because the rest of our lives are guided by others. It's who we allow to guide us that will make a difference.

As for me, I am guided by the teachings of Jesus. I choose to live my life as close as possible to that as exampled by Jesus. That's the life, I strongly believe, that I was meant to live. The decisions I make, the actions I take, the words I speak are ones I strive to make as an example of Jesus. I do this because I know, absolutely know, that this is what God wants me to do. It's why I was born, it's why I've experienced the things I have, it's why the paths along my journey of life have taken me where they have.

This same message is what Isaiah is telling those who will listen. God has a purpose for you. We may not know what that purpose is yet, but we have to trust that those around us who truly love us are put into our lives for a reason. That reason is for us to always have someone who will be there to comfort us when we fail, to celebrate with us when we succeed, and to keep us safe from the things that can bring us harm.

There are few things which bring me more joy than seeing young people realize their purpose in life. It doesn't matter to me if they're fry cooks or lawyers, I can see in them the love they have for what they do and for the people they do it with. And that is what true happiness is about.