We need to mentor, guide and encourage our youth

FRIDAY, MAY 11: All of us have been concerned with the present outbreak of violence in the gang culture and we cannot ignore the fact that we need sudden and drastic change.  

We have witnessed an increase in the number of our youth getting involved in gang activity.  We can either sit by, watching it happen, or we can be part of the solution.

Previously we learned that one of the greatest causes of the crisis is the lack of male leadership, in the form of fewer numbers of fathers in the home. 

Mothers have done a fine job of filling in the gap of raising their children alone, but, as we saw earlier in this series, God has designed children with the desire for a father.  

1 Thessalonians 2:11, 12: “For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory.”

We learned the three areas God specifically designed for which a father should be responsible: Encouragement; comfort (protection); and urging. 

We saw that in the first area a father’s encouragement is meant to instill ‘courage’ in the life of the child. 

Protection

For example, it is the job of a father to instruct and help his child to have the courage to overcome fears. 

The second fatherly responsibility is that of providing comfort or protection. 

A comforter typically provides wise counsel in times of uncertainty or crisis.

Isn’t it interesting that the Holy Spirit who guides and teaches us adults is known as the ‘Counsellor’ and the ‘Comforter’?

The third God-given fatherly responsibility is ‘urging’ and it is where we get the expression ‘to tow the line’. 

It means when a father guides a child who is testing the boundaries to do the right thing, often by firmly correcting the young one who is ‘acting-up’ and communicating that ‘enough is enough!’. 

If we take the approach that God has been the One behind the institution of the family, then what is the purpose of family? 

The ultimate purpose is to guide children so that they develop a love for God and for people. 

Sadly, this all breaks down when the family is under attack from internal and external pressures which can weigh so heavily that they foster hatred, regret, chaos and discouragement instead of the love, comfort and encouragement God intended. 

Marriages break-up, children have to take sides, and frustration prevails.

One purpose of the family God designed is to help youth develop discernment between right and wrong. 

Typically, there are two ways that young people learn: Through experience and through impartation.

Most adults reading this can relate to learning through experience.

Most of us have learned things through experience and the stories we can tell.

We’ve all made bad decisions in the past and have learned the hard way, often with consequences that were painful. 

It is the most costly way to learn because it can leave us with consequences that we have to deal with for the rest of our lives.

Most of us have learned the hard way because we set out to do something on our own, independent of others.

The second option is to learn by impartation.

This means when someone comes alongside a young person, teaching them by imparting wisdom to them in order to prevent them from learning the hard way. 

The book of Proverbs speaks about this. The Old Testament poetic book personifies wisdom in Proverbs 1:20-22:
“Wisdom calls aloud in the street, she raises her voice in the public squares;
At the head of the noisy streets she cries out, in the gateways of the city she makes her speech: “How long will you simple ones love your simple ways?  How long will mockers delight in mockery and fools hate knowledge?”

In other words ‘Wisdom’ calls out through older persons… especially parents… to help to impart the application of knowledge to the younger generation. 

However, it is interesting that primarily the book of Proverbs is a man reaching out to young men to teach, mentor or disciple them to become responsible citizens. 

Discernment

This is what is needed in our society.

We need to help youth make decisions that will enhance their discernment, so that they can effectively choose from right and wrong. 

If not, they are left to their own devices and will usually choose to learn by experience and choose what is risky or wrong resulting in hard felt consequences.

Let’s be part of the solution.

Let’s come forward and help our youth by mentoring them, guiding them, encouraging them to sharpen their discernment and to make better choices for themselves and their families.

Gary Simons is the senior pastor of Cornerstone Bible Fellowship, which meets every Sunday at the Ruth Seaton James Auditorium, CedarBridge Academy, Devonshire, at 10am. Visit www.cornerstone.bm for more information.