The World Youth Convention is being held in Stockholm Sweden from 15-18th July. We are praying for the leaders and all the participants. (Of special significance for me - our grandson David Lim is one of the delegates from our territory)
The enthusiasm of youth has never failed to impress me. Those of us who are older tend to be somewhat complacent and that is dangerous. I hope and pray that we older ones will not lose this enthusiasm for the Lord even when the expression of it is somewhat different from our youth and young people.
I share the view of Dr. Samuel Johnson who expressed his desire to be in the company of young people because it tended to keep him from thinking and acting like an old man. Senior citizens who resent and criticise young people forget that they were once young. Happy are they who love, accept the young and willing to lend a listening ear.
The Greeks have a word 'enthousiasmos' which means “possessed by a god” That’s an archaic but better description than the meaning given in our dictionaries as “eagerness or strong excitement of feeling on behalf of a cause or a subject” So when we allow God's Holy Spirit to posses our hearts and lives, we cannot help but be enthusiastic. True enthusiasm is Divinely inspired. Paul writing to the Ephesians said, “Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead be filled with the Spirit. Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord.” Ephesians 5:18-19 When We are Spirit filled enthusiasm flows.
True, youthful enthusiasm may not always take into account of reality at times. Youth is impatient for action and results. Obstacles and pitfalls appear small, opportunities on the other hand look big. So youth takes risks and at times there is no clear line of demarcation between confidence and rashness! I am writing from costly experience! We all have been cautioned to "look before you leap", but in my younger days, I sometimes practised "leap before you look."
We older folk need to maintain that enthusiasm or zest for living if we are to be of help to the young. We need to resist the temptation to smugness with the false assumption that we have arrived. We tend to posses the attitude of superiority and quick to quote our own experience to curb the enthusiasm or perceived rashness of youth.
The media portray scenes of demonstrations by impatient youth for change. Youth cannot accept the status quo that does not work anymore. Sadly these scenes show violence and destruction causing much damage to their own countries. If only their energies could be challenged to the building up of programmes for the good of the people.
Jesus called twelve disciples and they were fairly young, despite their beards. Look at them when the Holy Spirit fell on them on the day of Pentecost. They were full of the spirit and did wonders for the kingdom.
Rise up O youth, for mighty winds are stirring,
Men’s hearts grow faint through all the earth today;
Evil with evil everywhere conferring,
Summons its legions forth in dread array.
Forward O youth! But first in true submission,
Bring all thou hast and art to Christ, thy Lord;
Take from his hand his glorious commission,
Rise then, and in his name unsheathe thy sword.
Hear then our answer; Lord lead us on
Fighting nor resting until thy war is won.
Youth of today the church of God needs you.
Who was Will J Brand?, who wrote the words
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Men’s hearts grow faint through all the earth today;
Evil with evil everywhere conferring,
Summons its legions forth in dread array"
Will J Brand was a choir boy at Christ Church Dover. At the invitation of a friend, he joined The Salvation Army. After marriage he moved to Catford. He worked at Salvation Army IHQ for a time, then joined J & E Hall & Co.refrigeration engineers at Dartford. Began writing in 1937 and wrote over 350 songs and 150 sonnets many of these were published in The Musical Salvationist and his anthology, With Sword and Song (1975)
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