We had one of our most moving nights in High School.  No there was no special music or event, it was just a deal where the Holy Spirit showed up big time.  One of our adult leaders (Chris) has been going through this series called REFLECTION over the past few weeks.  In a nut shell, it helps us look at who God made us to be and compare it to the way we think we are made.  Most high school students (and even us adults) struggle with being the ‘real’ version of  ourselves…you know the person God made.

Instead,  we opt for this fake made up version of us that tells the world we have it all together and we are perfect.  For most of us, deep down inside we know we are living a life of lies.  We know we are dishonoring God, we know we are not doing what we ought to…but we continue on.   We continue being fake, we continue lying to our friends, family and ourselves.  Why?  Because we are trying to do it on our own. We are tying to strong arm the world, God, and everyone into believing we are perfect; but deep down inside we are messed up, so messed up that we have to tell lie after lie to keep this idea rolling forward.

On our last night of the REFLECTION series, the students were asked to write out some of the masks that they are living behind on some cards and nail them to a wooden cross.  This was done to symbolize them giving their particular problem up to the Lord.  As I began to take in the real issues our students our facing, I began to hurt.  I hurt for them and their families.  I recall going through many of the same struggles when I was their age.  It brought back memories that I didn’t want anymore.  Thankfully my Jesus has come in and restored me to where HE wants me to be.  I can’t help but consider this scripture:

James 4:10 (Amplified)

¹⁰Humble yourselves [feeling very insignificant] in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you [He will lift you up and make your lives significant].

When I humbled myself to the Lord, He came into my life and cleaned house.  He’s still very much in the process of cleaning, but my life was changed the day I accepted Christ.  My life all of the sudden had meaning and purpose.

I can’t help but to hurt for some of our students; many have a relationship with Christ but are lacking purpose and conviction that leads to action.  My prayer is that we as parents and student ministry volunteers would lift this generation up to the Lord.  That we would be willing to sacrifice something in our own lives so that these students get it.  The Lord desperately wants to change these students lives; some of the cards I read were pleading for change.

Pray for the students, parents, and student adult volunteers as we beging some intense meetings with some students.  Pray for strongholds to be broken and for God to receive all of the Glory!