Sermon : On Youth and Being Prepared

A television commercial convinces us that if we are to enjoy luxuries without the immediate worry of cash and at the same time be prepared when life’s best-laid plans go awry, there’s one thing that the responsible person just won’t leave home without--the American Express card. Of course, other cards might do the job equally well. But the commercial has a compelling message: The person who leaves home ought to be prepared.

As a minister, I find this “don’t-leave-home-without-it” theme one that’s relevant to you, our youths. My 30-plus years as a minister and as an educator convince me that there are at least three things young people should not leave home without: Youths, don’t leave home without knowing who you are. Don’t leave home without knowing where you are going. Don’t leave home without a plan to arrive.

These ideas appear simple enough, yet the high incidence of drug abuse, high school dropouts, teen-age pregnancy, gang involvement and lack of respect for authority attest to the fact that preparing our youth is a continuous goal. In all of this, we do not lose sight of the fact that many of our youths are on the right road. Neither do we forget that God has always used young people as he did with David, Moses and Joseph. Now, let’s look at these points separately.

Don’t leave home without knowing who you are. A failure to know who you are may cause you to be a vulnerable prey, to dislike yourself and to create problems for those around you. Not knowing who you are lowers your resistance to how others may define you. To be called racially or ethnically insulting names will have diminished effect on one who knows his or her true identity and has a sense of self-worth.

When Isaiah went into the temple and saw who God was, “high and lifted up,” Isaiah realized who he himself was. He concluded, “Woe is me for I am undone.” Once his identity was established relative to God, Isaiah was purified and responded to the call by saying, “Here am I; send me.” When you know who you are, young people, you become a part of the solution rather than a part of the problem.

Don’t leave home without knowing where you are going. This is just another way of saying, have goals for everything you do. People who do not have goals are used by those who do. Goals conserve resources and make success possible. If a hunter entered the woods and fired aimlessly with great enthusiasm, eventually he would hit something. But just think of how much ammunition he would waste and what or whom he might hit. The selection of goals cannot be overemphasized.

Don’t leave home without a plan to arrive. If you ever expect to have a dream come true, you must first wake up. A plan of work lies between your present position and that of your dreams or goals. Hoping to realize your goals without a plan is like thinking that you can jump from floor one to floor two. Although such effort would be virtually impossible, there is a way to reach floor two and all the other floors above. Try the elevator or the stairs.

I remember going to the store with my dad when I was a young boy. He would tell my brothers, sisters and me to get anything we wanted. When we reached the cashier, my dad would say, “Now pay for it.” Sometimes he would pay. Other times we would have to return the items to the shelves. Then Dad would remind us that life is like that: You can have almost anything if you are ready to pay the price.

The implications of the commercial--”Don’t leave home without it”--are that you will be leaving home at some time and that challenges will occur. Young people, be prepared.