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Don't Give up on Them!


"Do you see now why I didn't let you give up on him?" The Lord asked me this question recently as I sat on a plane headed for Cincinnati, Ohio.  I was reflecting on an encounter I had prior to boarding the plane with one of my former students.

After making it through airport security I found a seat at my terminal.  I pulled out my computer and started surfing the Internet. A few minutes later I heard, "Rev. Carter is that you? I knew it. I can pick you out anywhere."  I looked up and to my surprise; it was Marcus.  I was surprised because this was the first time I'd seen Marcus since he graduated high school over 7 years ago. And I certainly didn't expect to see him working at the airport.

You see, Marcus was anything but a model student when he attended Restoration Academy. He had been kicked out of public school and had a reputation for being a "bad boy."  Rarely did a week go by that Marcus wasn't sent to my office for violating a school policy.   I paddled him—yes we used corporal punishment—suspended him, and a number of times came close to expelling him.  He gave me every reason to give up on him, but the Lord wouldn't let me. 

Even though Marcus managed to graduate, I didn't hold out much hope for him.  I honestly believed he would end up in jail, or worse, dead.  But there he was, standing before me with this big smile on his face.  And was I glad to see him. We talked for a few minutes and it became apparent that Marcus had turned his life around.  When he walked away all I could say was "Thank you Jesus!"

Right now, I believe some of you are about to "throw in the towel" on a youth you've tried to reach for some time. But your efforts have been met with continued resistance and you are frustrated.  I know how you feel, but let me encourage you not to give up on that young person. 

You say, "Give me one reason." I can do one better.  I'll give you two. First, God did not give up on you. Think back to the number of times you resisted the gospel prior to accepting Christ. And yet God persisted. Care to imagine what your life would be like had he not? What about the times since accepting Christ you've acted in ways contrary to the Word? And yet you remain in the grip of His grace.  

But you are not alone or unique in this regard. In fact, you are in good company. Remember David? On one occasion he broke no less than three of the Ten Commandments when he slept with Bathsheba, killed her husband, and then tried to cover up his crimes.  Did God give up on him? No! What about the apostle Peter? Didn't he deny Jesus three times? Yes! But after being resurrected from the dead, the Lord graciously restored Peter.

Second, throughout our upbringing, we all had people who did not give up on us. For some it was a teacher, a coach, an auntie, or a grandmother. For others it was a pastor, a youth leader, a mother in the church, or a concerned neighbor.  They prayed for us, encouraged us, and when necessary, admonished and corrected us. They believed in us when we did not believe in ourselves.

So hang in there! Keep on believing, praying, and trusting that things will turn around. Who knows, one day in the future you just might have an encounter with that now difficult young person, like I had with Marcus. But that all depends on whether or not you give up on them.