Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.
2 Corinthians 5:17
In Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, he encourages his readers by teaching them that Christian people are new creatures in Christ. We are encouraged to look forward to the future and to not dwell on the former things. Isaiah 43:18 says, “Do not call to mind the former things, Or ponder things of the past.”
A trainee for Christian ministry once asked his tutor when he could take his retreat. The response to the question was not what he was expecting to hear. The tutor replied, “We do not retreat here, we only advance.” It appears that the word retreat is being used differently by the two men. In the question, the word, “retreat” was meant as a way of taking a break from studies. In the reply, the word was interpreted as if the young trainee was saying he had given up and was asking to quit.
Let us just suppose for a moment that the young trainee was saying he wanted to quit. We all feel like this at times. We all feel the temptation to quit and to follow the way of the world. This is especially true for young people today. As young people see their friends and peers go on in life, they are sometimes left feeling like they are missing out on something. They see their peers so-called enjoying life and all that the world has to offer on social media and are left with a feeling that they are not experiencing life to the full. Sadly, there are young Christian people who have given up on their faith and gone the way of the world.
When we see this happening, we must encourage young people to return to the fold and pray for them. We must come alongside them and encourage them to go forward in the Lord and not to retreat to the world. We must not just leave them to go their own way. As an assembly and people of God, we must go forward together. Christianity is not for the older generation only. Christianity has a message for the young as well as the old. This is because at the heart of the human condition we all need the same thing. So, as you go about your day let us pray for the state of the body of Christ. Let us pray for the young people in the assembly. Let us pray for their protection, direction, and guidance. The devil is at work in the assembly and is seeking souls to destroy and deceive. May we have the words of Psalm 32:8 on our hearts and minds today, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you.”
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