Tuesday, October 28, 2014

The Value of Investing in the Next Generation

Psalm 78: 3-4 - Things we have heard and known and that our fathers have passed down to us. We must not hide them from their children, but must tell a future generation the praises of the Lord, His might, and the wonderful works He has performed.

As a church planting missionary, I often speak at mission conferences. One of my best experiences occurred at Millbrook Baptist Church in Aiken, SC, where I had spoken several times about our church planting ministry in New England, as well as enjoyed the worship services they had each evening. Two nights of the conference the Korean Children's Choir sang and danced. It was very moving listening to the children praise the Lord. Dr. Billy Kim, chairman of the Far East Broadcasting Company, spoke on those nights. He shared the powerful testimony of how during the Korean War a young American soldier named Carl Powers took an interest in him and brought him to America and paid for his education. During that time Kim became a Christian. When his education was complete, Kim returned to his native land and began to minister to Koreans. Untold numbers of Koreans have come to Christ in the last fifty years as a result. Dr. Kim says that whatever was accomplished during all those years must be credited to Carl Powers, for it was Carl Powers who started it all by befriending a young Korean boy who had few prospects for a happy life.

I was greatly encouraged by Dr. Kim's testimony because my wife and I have invested a lot of time and energy in sharing the Gospel with the next generation. Many of the young people we have poured our lives into have come from difficult family situations, and we have often wondered if we were really making a difference. Dr. Kim's story reminded me that sometimes it takes a while for the fruit of our labors to be realized, but every young person's life is worth investing in, no matter how bleak their past or their future may look. Instead of being discouraged by the challenges we see around us in the lives of young people, we rejoice that God has called us to share His love with the next generation, knowing that at the right time the harvest will come.

Lord, help us always to look for ways to share Your greatness with the next generation. Amen.


This post is an excerpt from the book, The Heavenly Mundane: Daily Devotions from Ordinary Experiences. Filled with stories of how God spoke in big ways through small events, the book will encourage people to look for God in the mundane things of life. Great for both personal use and to give as a gift to friend, either the print version or the e-book version may be purchased at this link:

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