Putting God in a Box

This summer I have been traveling from church camp to church camp doing recruitment for the Bible College that I attend. I get a first-hand look at the strategies that different directors implore on their teenage attendees. So far I have seen a wide variety of approaches to teaching these young students. Many of the camps have a solid understanding that they only have these young people at this camp for a few days short of a week and that they need to teach them all that they can in that limited amount of time. This manifests itself as multiple Bible lessons each day and one or more services with a select speaker preaching.

It is amazing to see the vast contrast between the camps. Although there are some major differences in methodology, I have yet to be a camp that didn't efficiently reach their group of young people. But methodology and strategy isn't what I want to discuss in this small bit of stereo consciousness. I wanted to discuss a underlining theme that I have observed at each of these camps that has spoken deeply to my own heart. Every one of the speakers at these camps so far has challenged its campers to be radical workers for the Kingdom of God. They have exhorted their listeners to not put their Savior in a box and confine what He can do in their lives but rather let God do miraculous things in their lives.

This is a refreshing message to say the least. This past week was possibly the best example yet. While I was at a camp in Missouri this past week the speaker pointed out that the vast majority of prophets and workers for the Kingdom in both the Old and the New Testament were called as young men and women. People like Timothy and Samuel were called as young men. The Bible said that David was just a boy when he defeated Goliath. The list goes on and on. It was amazing to see these young girls and boys be attentive to the speaker and then seek to apply it in their own lives. They knew through the Word that God could use them and that all they had to do was surrender to His will in their lives.

I had the amazing opportunity and honor to pray with some young men this past week. Their prayer was simple: "I want to be a better witness for Christ". Although still young in their faith they had a good understanding of the implications of this prayer and what it would take for them to fulfill it. They made some great decisions this week and it was a blessing to see them take God out of the box that many of us put Him in. They wanted to see what God could do with their lives.

I got a call from those young guys on my way back to Nashville this morning. It hadn't been more than a few hours since camp had let out. They had led two people to Christ already and shared their faith with more than 10 people. Now I know that they were still on that spiritual high that we all have experienced from church camp, but I exhorted them and challenged them that even when things get difficult and down to cling to that promise that they made to God this past week. Pray for these young men and women that want to do God's work. I wish many of us would have the hearts that these young people have. That we would be willing to surrender it all to God in hope that He would use us to be workers for His Kingdom.