The youth problem of the church will be to a large degree answered when we as ministers discharge our full duty toward our young people. Much of the perplexity along this line is due to the lack of adequate understanding, interest, and effort on the part of the pastor of the church. No group with which the minister is called upon to labor is more responsive to personal interest and understanding than the youth of our churches. But this responsiveness cannot be effected by proxy. It will come only as the minister demonstrates to the young people that he is worthy of their full confidence as a counselor and friend.
As one gets close to our young people, it is not difficult to discover that a large number of them feel very much alone with their temptations, trials, and questions. The tender years through which they are passing somehow make them very sensitive to the atmosphere surrounding the lives of those who should be their helpers. Like delicately constructed organisms, they send forth feelers which, as they come in contact with unsympathetic surroundings, cause them to fold up within themselves, and they become noncommittal, unexpressive, and rigidly unresponsive.
They should not be judged too harshly for this. For regardless of whether they are thought right or wrong in so doing, we face the fact that this is the way they are made. Our responsibility is to discover such a natural approach to them on the basis of a kinship of spirit that the barriers they ordinarily throw up in their reticence and embarrassment, will be melted by our friendly and understanding attitude.
Many a young person in our churches is longing to pour out his soul's anxieties and perplexities, but he is not sure enough of his ground with us as ministers to know that he will find an understanding and sympathetic heart. One of the greatest mistakes which we are likely to make is that of thinking we do not have time to listen to the problems of our youth. In some of our large churches, especially, we hurry on so quickly, as we meet these struggling lives, that they feel it would be wrong to bother us with their troubles.
The minister thus deprives himself of one of the greatest assets which he has in the successful work of the church, his own personal success, and the upbuilding of many young lives about to be broken irretrievably by Satan.
Never should it be forgotten that in all ages of the work of God and in every crisis of the church, the youth have stood in the breach and carried the banner of Prince Immanuel, on to new heights. The progress of the church in all the past has been largely an advance of youth.
It is a mistake to judge youth as having a shallow experience in the Lord just because of their seeming unresponsiveness, when that attitude has very often been created by the woeful lack of personal, sympathetic interest on the part of ministers and workers. While not overlooking the fact that every year many of our youth are apostatizing and going out of this movement forever, we should not fail to recognize that they are not alone in this drifting away. There are just as deeply and truly spiritual, just as consecrated and self-sacrificing lives among the hosts of our youth today as in any day in the history of the church, and without doubt there is just as high a percentage of devotion among them as among the older members of our churches.
It cannot be denied and should never be forgotten that the youth of this movement, who are now on the scene of action, are destined by God to lead His people to the last great triumph, and that speedily,—yes, more speedily than any movement has ever reached its final objectives. To them is to be given the last call to service that will ever be given to labor in behalf of sinners. It will doubtless be a call to greater sacrifice and devotion than God has ever found necessary to send forth in all the ages past. They must stand for God in the midst of the furies of Satan and his emissaries as they are unleashed with "all power" by the withdrawal of the restraining hand of God. With deceivers and tempters to evil on every side clothed with full power from Satan, the youth of the advent movement must march on to the front of the battle line and to victory.
This call is now due. It must be given to them through the ambassadors of Christ. It is our responsibility as ministers to co-operate with God in giving them the vision of their part in the final crusade against sin and Satan. They must be won, to their place in the line—they cannot be bemoaned or driven. Your responsibility and mine is to discover that method by which the youth, who face us in our ministry continually, may be inoculated with the spirit which was manifest when Jesus said, "I must work the works of Him that sent Me, while it is clay: the night cometh, when no man can work." That great "I must" which was found so often upon the lips of our youthful Saviour, will erelong be breathed into the lives of the young men and women of this movement around the world; and God is depending upon us who today stand in the sacred desk to stand close also to the lives and interests of our youth, that we may be instrumental in influencing their lives toward this great program for the finishing of the work.
The mobilizing of youth is the aim of every great movement in the earth today. God forbid that His ministers should underestimate the importance of their attitude and influence toward such mobilization in His cause, and should fail to suggest in a winsome way the logical response which the youth should now make to His urgent and final call to action. The sluggishness and lethargy of the church now needs the leadership of that youthful zeal and devotion which God intends shall be seen in the lives of our young people. If we as ministers, by careful friendship, by confidential sympathy, and with a kindred spirit, will guide and influence the young people of our congregations, we will save many lives to God and His kingdom and greatly reduce the problems of both church and home. By our failure in this important responsibility we will find blood-guiltiness at our door, and God's purposes and plans will be greatly hindered. Let us earnestly endeavor to harness the strength of the youth in God's great cause.
Orlando, Fla.