Importance of keeping Christ first

I am an avid reader and learner. I want to gain new perspective and be challenged in the way I look at things. I continue to read about different challenges teens face. I am reminded that those who take an approach to help teens that eliminate God have a much lower success rate.


There is a reason why Christ must be central in what this ministry is about. He is the only one that can truly bring about transformation. We all need to be transformed by the renewing of our mind. We need to understand that God loves us deeply and that He has a great plan for our lives. We need to see that trying to change our lives by using our own strength will fall woefully short.


I read about issues like "Human Trafficking of Teens" in Canada. This is a hideous crime where the teens are subjected to greedy and sick people that take advantage of them. These girls then lose their self esteem and feel trapped. I know I am making this complex problem seem simple, but we as Christians need to engage this issue.


How can we as a ministry engage this crime/issue? Part of the way we do that is to actively be involved in building up self esteem of our youth. We need to show them that God approves of them and loves them. We need to show them that they are amazing and that they do not have to settle for abusive relationships.


Another issue is bullying? The approach being used in our schools is terribly short! Teens are being bullied on a regular basis. It is unacceptable. How does Christ play a role in this ministry on this issue. Once again we teach that we need to have the mind of Christ.


 He told us to love our neighbours as ourself. When teens fully understand that they are loved and they have value, they don't have to demean others to feel better about themselves.


One other are to focus on today is teenage pregnancy. I was recently to a conference put on by secular folks working with at risk teens. One of the speakers said "condoms, condoms, condoms, I love to show them how to put them on bananas. We all know abstinence doesn't work." 


If we want to slow down teenage pregnancy we need to include the Biblical truth of what God's Word says. We need to teach others that Christ's teachings and God's Word doesn't seek to prevent "fun" for people but seeks to protect them. We do not need more teens having babies. 


I know for some this might seem like "pie on the sky" talk. I am simply trying to remind us that this ministry needs to take a Christian approach to the ministry we do. We do not need to be judgmental of people, we need to be willing to put Christian values at the forefront of our ministry. 


I want to see lives transformed by renewed minds and a proper view of themselves. Only Christ can accomplish this! As Scripture says, "we are beautifully and wonderfully made." Ps 139, that is the truth the teens we work alongside need to hear.