Pride Popper

As I’m fond of doing, I was listening to Matt Chandler’s sermon yesterday morning before work.  He’s started a series out of Habakkuk, and I’ve been so looking forward to it.  

So, while not what the sermon was about, Chandler said something during his sermon that really struck me.  He was talking about King Josiah.  King Josiah, King of Judah, led a revival in Judah the likes of which had never been seen.  He restored worship in the temple, and hunted down idolatry throughout Judah.  Then, mysteriously, he went out to battle against Pharaoh  Necho, and was killed in battle.  You can read this story in 2 Kings Chapter 23.

Chandler’s point was this:  When you read Josiah’s story, it should strike you that his death and burial took one verse.  In the next verse, the story continues with King Jehoahaz.  

Literally, Josiah died in one verse, and then the story went on.  This was the great revivalist of Judah, the man who restored worship to the temple and was instrumental in turning the people’s hearts back to God.  

And with that much fanfare, his story ended.  but God’s story went on.  

While Josiah might live eternally in scripture and in history, it’s very probable that we won’t.  Many of God’s people who have done tremendous work haven’t, and there’s no reason for us to believe that we will either.

So many young people I know believe that leadership and godly work are going to somehow secure them a place in history.  They want to make a mark, and are using leadership and works to make that mark.  Rather than wanted to be servants, they want leadership to serve them.  I wish this kind of pride didn’t exist in us, but it does.  

Josiah’s story is a good reminder that even the godliest men and women die, are buried, and then the story goes on.  So it will be with us.  At best, we have very small parts in God’s very large story.  Whenever we can remind ourselves of that, I think we should.  It gives us proper perspective.

Training Tomorrow’s Leaders Today,

Matt  

The Change Agent

I know a lot of people who believe that they are the defining element in the lives of young people.


I hope this isn’t you.

As a youth worker, and as a developer of young leaders, if we’re not careful we can somehow get the idea that we are the change agents in the lives of young people; and nothing could be further from the truth.

We have no power to truly change a person. Most people would tell you that a person will only change if they want to, and to an extent, I would agree with them.

But to another extent, I wouldn’t; mainly because our God is bigger than any person, and having made us, He can certainly change us. I am a living example. I was not what you would call a people person before my conversion. Even after my conversion, you probably would have found in painful to be in my presence for any length of time, but not more painful than I would have found it.

By the grace of God, I am no longer as introverted as I used to be, and not from my trying to become an extrovert. I fought God tooth and nail every step of the way of my introversion.

What I’m trying to say here is don’t get cocky. God may be using us to affect the lives of many youth, but it is God, not us, that in the end is the Agent of Change. Their success is due God. Their change is due God. You are but another faithful servant that God uses to bring this about.

So the next time that you find yourself surveying your little kingdom and start mumbling something like “his success is due to me,” or “look at the affect I’m having on such-and-such a person,” remember a certain Chaldean king and the time God humbled him by driving him into thinking he was a wild animal. I’m just saying.

Training Tomorrow’s Leaders Today,

Matt