A Caution To The Youth: Be Youthful And Useful

I undertook an escapade on talking to some gangsters I grew up with the last time on my way to the barbering shop, when I met this guys with all sorts of ear-rings, smelly alcoholic posture and the aromatic weed spree, I said to myself “ I can’t believe I was this way some years back. But I have not regretted it though because those of us coming from such background are slow to judge and quick to encourage. But my concern is how useful are we now to this generation, starting from our homes? Can our parents look at us and say I am proud I gave birth to you or they will rather say I was sad when I conceived you like Jabez’s mum told the son? Can our pastors look at us today and say, in fact if it hadn’t been this young man/ woman this department would have collapse long ago or they say in their heart: when will the rapture come, so we can get rid of these useless generation of young men going nowhere? What about society? Can they say: this generation of youthfulness have lived up to their usefulness? Or they say “lets lynch them and kill them, they are nuisances to our senses”. I have good news brother, we can be youthful and useful. Forget what people think about us. You can be youthful, pure and useful. Let’s study what Paul told one of his youth and make a headway:

“Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity. (1 Timothy 4:12)”

Globally, about one quarter of the world’s population is between 10 and 24 years old. It is believed that the ambitions and triumphs of these energetic people will form the future. Question: how prepared are we?

According to City F.M news, the Ghanaian youth population hits 5.3 million in 2015, which means there could be 3 to 4% increase in 2017. But that’s not a good news why? Because an increase in the youthful population is just an upsurge in smoking, alcoholism and drug abuse, unprotected sex (prevalence of HIV/AIDS and STI’s) and armed robbery particularly among the youth, as is currently. In my area, anytime I go for jogging (just to burn some fats in me, I know you are smiling and Duafah paa, but don’t worry. Just follow me) I come back sad, and my Prayer is: Lord apart from the Gospel (which is the only tool that changes a man) what else can I do to help this generation yet I receive no inner conviction to lash them off the street and separate them from the fights or take the weed of their mouth but I am convince you and I can still be youthful and remain useful. I believe we shouldn’t learn the lesson we could learn from the house from the prisons, it could be too late.

Churches are more yet the youth are worldly, mentors are in books, televisions and everywhere yet we are lawless and cruel. Books are available yet we hook up with ladies we know very well will not even cross the border line of proposal talk less of marriage. Paul told Timothy: you are youthful but be useful in speech, in love, in faith and in your quest for holiness. I know you will say Timothy was lucky to have Paul. “Oooh God give us fathers who will recognize the seed you have sown in us and water it without jealousy, envy and pride”. God give us true fathers for we are youthful but wasting, if care is not taking”. But even if we lack fathers like Paul, let God arise on our behalf and coach us His way that the gifts be not wasted. But even if we have no honest fathers, what about Joseph? The brethren tried killing him, sold him into a pit yet in the pit he was useful. He was moved from the pit to the prison and in the prison yet in the prison he was useful and then He was moved from the prison to the Palace until he became a prime minister. He was useful even without a mentor to follow. He had God.

Youth lady, when you got married to him, you were looking pretty, lanky, sexy and scenic, after you got pregnant you lost all your physical pulchritude he still calls you ‘my wife’, just after you gave birth and natured your daughter and got your beauty back he lost his job, and you say he is broke, he can no longer be your husband, young woman, be useful. That is unbiblical. Be useful.

Youngman, Joseph moved from the pit to become the prime minister, yet we move from the church to become wee smokers. Let’s be useful. Job said in Job Twenty- Nine verses four that “in the days of my YOUTH, when the secrets of the Lord was upon my tabernacle”. He knew God in his youth, and research proves he was only nineteen. You are approaching Forty, you still can’t quote 40 scriptures- young man, you are in trouble. Your mum sent you and because you have a degree you got bored and left home, don’t forget Ephesians Six verse One: the condition to longevity is respect to your parent, which means you are not guaranteed long life if you don’t honor them. When I look at my generation I am tempted to be sad? Why? Because we don’t read, we don’t like to work, we don’t respect, we don’t like to go church especially on weekdays (but we seek miracles everyday), we don’t want to pray and fast and we don’t want to yield to God. We switched to other religions to run away from responsibilities.

Let me remind you: we are not being useful. When you enter any church, you can count the number of youth in active service, only few. We see more elderly folks at our church meetings than young and energetic ones. I know they wish they were our age but I also know we think, we will never get there and be weak as they but Jesus said a day comes “WHEN NO MAN( including us) CAN WORK”. This must stop and it must stop immediately you pass your comment on this missive. But I am hopeful because the remaining ones will be strengthened and we will take this unconcerned and perverted generation by storm.

Our Lord Jesus Christ was weak on the cross and still refused vinegar (something that will help curb the pains) yet he refused it, why? Because temporal gain can result in an everlasting pain. He chose to suffer the hard way so you and I can have our way. Listen to this: at your weakest point as a youth, Satan will come with an offer like he did to Jesus on the cross, let’s be careful and not accept it... Let me conclude with a quote I propounded “If God cannot find us useful when we are youthful, He won’t find us useful at our awful age”. Tomorrow may be too late man. Start a church today, begin a career today, write that book today, sing that song today and live a mark today.

GOD WILL ESTABLISH US IN THIS ENDTIME AND MAKE US PILLARS OF TRUTH

R. Duafah
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