Working with troubled teens can be quite a chore. In addition to my on-line ministries, and pastoring a church, some dedicated servants and I also run a couple of youth outreach centers in and around Dayton, Ohio. Ministry is tough! There have been nights where I’ve come home and had to bandage wounds (on my own body), other nights where I’ve come home and felt the need to pray for an hour or more, and nights where I’ve come home and cried! Ministry is tough no matter where you do it, but working with unsaved young people can be the worst. As you might imagine, I’ve had many hard-charging volunteers quit over the years. Some feel called to other ministries, and some just get burned out. I don’t blame them either way, since there have been many days where I wanted to quit. The thing that bothers me is when folks come to one of our outreach centers one or two times, then tell me they can’t minister to these kids. When I inquire as to why, it’s always one of two things. Either they don’t like hanging around the loud music and the rowdy youth, or they’ll tell me they have nothing in common with young people. It always makes me wonder… Did Jesus really want to leave heaven and hang out with people who wouldn’t listen, or did He do it to serve the Father. Did Jesus have ANYTHING in common with any of us?
“Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.” Romans 15:7
In Christ,
PastorJimKilby @Kilbin8er
Jim@JamesKilby.com