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El Futuro es Ahora

The Future is Now, and You Are Not Too Young
(Part 2) 

By José Cortés Jr.

For about three decades I have observed that although youth and young adults are very much affected by the challenges and problems in society and in our churches, they are hardly ever the cause of these problems. If you find this statement hard to believe, look around in your church and in board and committee meetings. How many youth and young adults are voting members? Youth are hardly ever the cause of the problem, because most times they are not among those making the decisions. They are often considered too young for the present and maybe the future. When David showed up, Saul and his army were in big trouble. The trouble was not David's doing or the doing of David's generation.

"And Saul said to David, 'You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for you are a youth, and he a man of war from his youth' "—1 Samuel 17:33 (NKJV).

Here are a few more great lessons from this Bible story:

"You are the future" and "you are too young" are two significant mistakes we have made regarding our youth. Satan has been successful in having us perpetuate these phrases, hoping that he will prevent new generations from becoming change agents in this world and in the church. I say to the youth that believing these phrases will paralyze you, and one day you will wake up and realize that the future never came and that now you don't have the passion, drive, or energy to make the difference you once wanted to make. In frustration, you too will start telling the younger generations that they are too young. Unless someone stops believing these lies, the cycle will repeat itself and the church will never become what God wants it to be.

If you don't do something today, you may have nothing tomorrow. Saul did not realize that without David in the present, Israel faced destruction, slavery, and exile. There would be no future unless David acted. In order to have a future, there must be a present. If you sacrifice the present for the sake of the future, the future may never come. If you are young and you are not active in the church today, you may not be in church when you become an adult. Find a ministry and begin to work for God, for your church, and for your community today.

Dear adult, enable the youth for service and leadership today, even if you have to yield your place to one of them. With God's blessing, this will assure a growing movement and a victorious church tomorrow.

Stop looking around to see who is going to do the job at hand. This world and our church are filled with people who are standing and looking around to see who is going to do the work. God is willing to use you, and anyone who is willing, to do great and awesome things in His name. When God gave the challenge, the young man, Isaiah, who trusted Him said, "Here I am."

David could have believed the lies and waited, but he trusted God and did something. If you are an Adventist youth or a young adult in Bermuda, Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, or New York, I challenge you to embrace the fact that the future is now. And please remember, you are not too young to serve and lead for God.

(read part 1)

El Futuro es Ahora 

The Future is Now, and You Are Not Too Young (Part 1) 
By José Cortés Jr.
 

I vividly remember the first time I heard the phrase "Youth are the future of the church." It happened during my Busy Bee Investiture in Esperanza, Cuba. I was five years old and the Cuban Union youth director told us that now we were part of "the future of the Adventist Movement." I can also recall the last time I heard the phrase was in June in the Bronx while in one of our Atlantic Union churches. I wonder, have you ever heard anyone in your church say, "Our youth are the future of the church?"

This phrase is not contemporary, but goes back, even to Bible times. The Bible story of David and Saul, found in 1 Samuel 17, is a great example. Goliath had been terrorizing King Saul and his army for 40 days and no one had done anything about it. There was no end and perhaps no hope in sight; then young David showed up. His assignment was to bring some food to his older brothers who were mature enough to be part of Saul's army. When young David saw Goliath and heard the insults he made toward God and God's people, he decided that something needed to change. What had been happening for 40 days could not continue to happen. It seemed that business as usual had been an option for Saul and his army, but it was not an option for David. The biblical account in 1 Samuel 17:32,33 (NKJV) says that David said to Saul, "Let no man's heart fail because of him; your servant will go and fight with this Philistine." And Saul said to David, "You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for you are a youth, and he a man of war from his youth."

We can learn some awesome lessons from this Bible story:

1. Youth are not easily intimidated by giant challenges. Young people like to do rather difficult things. Super-easy tasks underestimate their abilities and tend to bore them. When youth and young adults are not the cause of the problem, they can be a part of the solution. Don't take my word for it, just gather the youth and young adults of your church and present them with a big challenge and give them the freedom to solve it. Watch and see what happens.

2. Every adult is given the golden opportunity to empower a youth to greatness. I believe this opportunity was King Saul's "golden moment" to go down in history as one of the greatest mentors ever. Saul could have said, "I am so glad you are young, willing, and ready to do what we have failed to accomplish, but with God's help, perhaps you can do it." Yet, when I read this verse, I see someone trying to put the lid on the endless potential of the already anointed king. Saul told David, "Goliath is very experienced, you are too young; maybe in the future." King Saul will be remembered as the one who told David, "You are too young . . ."

(read part 2)