A Tough Opponent

I face a tough opponent tonight - junior high students. Out on the soccer pitch with a whistle in my mouth, I don't have much trouble ordering what is going on. If I blow the whistle, I make the call - then we play. I have pretty much absolute control. The kids want to play soccer so they stay within my guidelines in order to get that accomplished.

But, with the junior high group at church, it's a different story. Their purpose for attending is quite a bit different than mine. In the last few weeks, I've watched my inner temperature rise as we worked at cross-purposes. Now, these students are not "bad" ... they're just adolescents. They have their own likes and dislikes, along with their own way of expressing those opinions.

I just find myself weary as it comes to gathering their attention on eternal things. I have to constantly remind myself that this is a long process, in which I am only one part. It is God who is continually at work in the hearts and lives of these kids. My role is not to be the wise adult with all the answers. My role is to cooperate with God in what he is doing in the lives of these kids.

1 Kings 3-5