Be strong and courageous!

I recently posted some pictures outside of our Student Ministry room of Jonathan Berlin's baptism. I gave my blessing to our new brother in Christ and quoted a charge that the prophet Moses gave to his successor Joshua right before he died.

Moses had led the rebellious nation of Israel out of captivity as slaves to the Egyptians, and despite their freedom, they continued to focus on what they did not have. Therefore, God told the entire adult population that none of them would see the Promised Land that He had prepared to give them. So, God made an entire nation of people wander around the desert until they all died, and then He brought the next generation of youth-now-adults to the doorstep of their inheritance from their God. Moses was the last to die.

Moses passed on the leadership of a homeless nation to Joshua, and he had four things to say before he died:

• Be strong and courageous
  
• Do not be afraid
  
• Do not be discouraged
  
• Your God will be with you no matter where you go
  

 

Those same words ring true today as we live the Christian life. Maybe you are physically strong, but you know nothing of courage. Maybe you consider yourself to be a strong personality, but you have never taken a courageous stand to make friends with the outcasts and "uncool" social rejects of your school. Maybe you are afraid of being rejected by your friends. Maybe you are afraid of becoming like a family member who has failed in life. Maybe you have lived in discouragement because you cannot do well in a certain school subject no matter how hard you try. Maybe you are discouraged because someone really attractive and cool does not return your love. Maybe you are discouraged because you feel that you can never achieve the standards your parents impose on you.

Listen my brothers and sisters: no matter what your circumstances bring you in life, if you are a born-again believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, GOD IS WITH YOU NO MATTER WHERE YOU GO!!!! What does that mean? How many people can claim that their God is physically, emotionally, and spiritually with them in life? No one but a person who has spiritually died to their lifestyle of self and surrendered to God's call to live a Spirit-filled life can boast of such a claim! But we do in every worship service, Bible study, and mission project at this church. I told one of our male students recently that every single decision that we face every single day is a chance to choose to worship the Lord Jesus Christ or to bow down and worship Satan. Ephesians 6 leaves no room for a morally-neutral human condition.

Take heart, my friend. Be strong and courageous. Take a stand for the outcast in your school. When someone starts to talk about a student behind their back, point out their hypocrisy and challenge them to stop being a coward. Do not be afraid. The God who named the stars and gathered the galaxies knows your name and goes to school with you sealed in your heart. He knows what you think, and He cares about how you feel. Do not be discouraged. Life is short, but our God is infinite. Seek Him in His Word, and fight the lust of the American dream. Wherever you go, Jesus Christ is with you! Stop living as if your time with God is just another bullet point in your fragmented weekly to-do list. He is yours, and you are His. Live like it is true! Talk about Him with joy, and set the standard for love in your social circle rather than following the cultural trends like a blind, mindless sheep.

I am praying for you, and I love you as your Christian brother. I am here for you, so text me if you need anything. Grace and peace to you in Jesus' name.