Teens, Hearts, and Missions – Part One

Whatever and wherever a believer in Christ labors, his greatest desire is to see others reconciled to God. Many teens take that pivotal step, wondering how they can prepare for such a great mission. By mission, we mean seeing life as a missionary does, whether we are one professionally or not. It means recognizing you, once an enemy of God, has been made His child, and now your life’s purpose is to tell your neighbor about this great love.

As a Christian homeschooling parent, no doubt you desire your son or daughter will do just that. But how? How can they begin today, even before the details are clear? When navigating this question in my own youth, I found two tools invaluable: God’s Word and God’s people. In Scripture, the truth is given, the treasure described, and the heart prepared. In God’s people and how He worked in their lives, examples are found, ideas inspired, and triumphs over disappointments observed. Let’s delve into the why behind the first of these.

God’s Word

Imagine if we abolished all our medical schools and simply gave a M.D. to anyone who felt “called” to heal the sick. No knowledge, no experience, just your good intentions to guide you. Never! Yet, attempting to heal a sin-sick world equipped without the Word of God is even more dangerous. God Himself declares “faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (Romans 10:17) Psalms 19 further reveals it is the perfect law of God that converts the soul. Why? Because unless we see how we have broken God’s law, we will never see we are sinners. And if we are not sinners, why do we need a Savior? Who is this Savior anyway? What did He do that made God so pleased with Him? You say He is God’s Son; why? How can we know He truly is the Son, and what relevance does it have to me anyway? All these questions we can only answer with the Bible.

If a young person yearns to reach the lost for Christ, they must come to love His book. Messengers don’t write their own messages; they deliver ones written by someone with authority to speak. God is the authority on salvation and the gospel is the message He has entrusted to each of us to deliver.

God’s Word is also what changes us and puts us in line to be used by Him. This is a tricky one, so please read this carefully. Lack of converts does NOT automatically equal lack of obedience. Read it again: lack of converts does NOT automatically equal lack of obedience. If that is the case, Noah, Isaiah, and Jeremiah were some of the most disobedient men in history. Nonetheless, God expects us to do things His way and ignorance is no excuse. To be Christlike, we must know what Christ was like, which is revealed to us in His book.

Thankfully, history abounds with practical examples of men and women who did this very thing. Part two will introduce us to one young man in particular.

Kenzi Knapp is a follower of Christ, homeschool graduate and student of history. A fourth generation Missourian she enjoys writing about daily life enrolled in Gods great course of faith and His story throughout the ages at her blog,Honey Rock Hills.