A Pawn And A King
My ceiling is their floor. The 'pawn' in me can become the 'King' or 'Queen' in them.
The pawn in us can create a king or queen if we are willing to make others great. My ceiling becomes their floor!
A few
years ago some famous athletes bantered back and forth that they were
not role models to the younger generation. What these athletes do not understand is that whether they think they are or not is not the point. The weight of that question is answered by the young people who are looking to them as ICONS.
Here's the point. We are not only raising a FATHERLESS generation, but, we are raising a SIBLING-LESS generation. It is becoming more rare for siblings to be raised together because of the blended nature of our homes in America. And, on top of that, many of the ROLE MODELS young people are following are certainly not healthy role models. Because of these factors, it is actually a must that we see
Youth Leaders who are men and women of God, lead this generation the right way. The 'pawn' in me can become the 'king or queen' in a young protege who is following me.
It is not my responsibility to raise princes and princesses. It is my responsibility to raise Kings and Queens. I've
heard all the arguments about why some famous icons have stated they are
not heroes and role models. Sure, it is up to parents and family to
lead the younger generation. But, in the absence of consistent parental
roles, where are the teachers, civic leaders, church leaders, para-church
leaders, musicians, athletes, coaches, and corporate role models?
Someone has to step up and be the example in the vacuum of heroes and
role models in our society.
It is
important that we as Youth Leaders live as privately and publicly
honorable lives as we can. Someone is watching. One of the growing buzz
words in culture over the past few years is the idea of mentoring and
coaching and the concept of apprenticeships and protege's. The
discipline of being people who have walked in the places that young
people want to walk someday. People who are willing to live in a glass
house on the corner or a city on a hill. There is so much to manage in
our lives if we want to lead this generation. To be a significant mentor
in the life of a young person today will require managing the following
areas of life:
The
Personal Life - This would include the psychology of daily life,
commitment to spiritual growth and formation, dealing with finances and
materialism, and having accountability measures in place for the areas
of sexual temptations.
Marriage
and Family - Balancing a spouse and children in the ministry is the
most important part of a young ministers life. How much to involve them,
the use of the home, and limits of how much ministry discussion do we
bring home are all areas that must be defined and practices that must be
understood. Defining healthy roles within the marriage and family
(spouse, parent-child, sibling relations) will compute into successful
model for young people to watch.
Professional Development - There are many areas of professional
development that can increase the success of Youth Leaders. The
philosophy of ministry a young leader develops will become the construct
that defines your entire ministry program. It is true that ministry is
about relationships, but, anyone who underestimates philosophy and
structure will be working harder than the person with it. Our core traits could become the mimicked traits of the generation behind us.
Integrity
- Wholeness. An integer is an un-mixed number. To have integrity is to
be un-mixed or whole.This would include our language, attitudes,
lifestyle, indulgences, freedoms, and habits. In I Corinthians 10.23
Paul urged that "all things are lawful for me, but, not all things are profitable."
This
picture tells it all as it relates to the hero and the role model in
all of us. The protege is really a shadow of the mentor. And, who we are
as an example is really only the beginning of what God wants to do in
someone we are willing to mentor and lead. What
God has placed inside the younger generation can be
drawn out by the veteran leaders who are willing to invest.