The Sunday Mail
Pastor Tinashe Zinyemba : The Christian Youth
THE cold weather persists but God is still good. I pray you are well today. I want to start off by encouraging you.
| Tough times come and go and sometimes it can be difficult. I talk to young people and am involved in numerous counselling and mentorship programmes. |
I observe that there are many who are despondent and have lost hope for the future. Prospects are slim and opportunities are non-existent for one reason or another. This leads many into alcoholism, promiscuity, violence and generally delinquent behaviour.
Sometimes it is the parents who will be in despair because their child is having a difficult life where no matter what they do, it seems they cannot seem to catch a break.
I want you to know that life comes from God. God is the ultimate Economist and Chief Accountant. God does not waste resources. If you were not meant to be alive or had no purpose or function on Earth I can guarantee you that you would not exist. You would not exist. The fact that you are alive means that God is not yet done with you. No job, no money, no hope?
Trust in the God who is your creator, do not lose faith and trust in Him but rather continue to live each day with an expectation and guarantee that God has not forgotten you.
As Christians, we should be exemplary. It’s unfortunate that these days it is becoming more difficult to differentiate between a Christian and a non-believer, particularly among the younger generation. The dressing of the believer and the world is the same, the language and lingo is the same, the behaviour is the same.
For instance, believers are the ones drinking alcohol, Christians are the ones having multiple sexual partners and then they walk back into church and serve in various departments.
It is Christians who are involved in shady deals and corruption. It should not be so among us; particularly with the younger generation since Jesus was only 33-years-old when He was crucified, meaning He fully understood the pressures and challenges that come with being young.
Hebrews 4:15 says of Jesus, “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as (we are yet) without sin.” Yes, He was the Son of God but remember He was fully a human being just like you.
The Apostle Paul in Romans 6:4 says, “Therefore we are buried with Him by baptism into death: that like as Christ from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.”
I want to dwell on where Apostle Paul says “Like As Christ”.
As a young person you should be able to find yourself in Jesus Christ and identify your life in Him. Paul in 1 Corinthians 11:1 says, “Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.” I took the liberty of picking up just four elements in Christ that we as believers should imitate and identify with as instructed by Paul.
Prayer
Mark 1:35 says, “And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, He went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.”
We have to identify with Christ’s characteristics. We have to be God conscious at all times. Keep your conscience clean and tender. Be a person of sober habits. That does not mean that you cannot be fun loving and energetic by the way. Jesus was a person of principle and discipline.
In Luke 22:42, Jesus says, “Saying Father if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine be done.” Jesus had to do things that even He did not want to do. Nothing worthwhile can ever be achieved without discipline and sacrifice. You might have a certain craving or you might be tempted to be lazy. That is not the identity of a Christian.
Purpose
From the beginning of His life to the end, you could see that Jesus had His eyes set on His mission. You have to be a person of purpose. If you are in school focus on your school work or your assignments at work. If you live with a purpose you will not meddle in petty issues or allow yourself to be distracted by the temptations of life.
Passion
John 11:35 says “Jesus wept”, He was an emotional person. He gave Himself wholly to a task. Jesus was not a lukewarm person, rather He was a fired up individual that at one time He went into the temple and beat up traders with a whip that He had made (I am not advocating for violence by the way).
Be passionate about something, live life to the fullest; enjoy being your age and what is around you. Do not take yourself too seriously but rather enjoy the life that God has blessed you with.
Today I want you to recommit to Christ if you have not been identifying with Him and ask the Holy Spirit to help you be a true reflection of Jesus Christ.
Till next week, God bless.
Tinashe Zinyemba is a pastor with New Life Covenant Church. Feedback: [email protected]
