Want an eye-opening look at how God uses the foolish to change the world? Wondering how that applies to youth ministry? Then keep reading for life-changing and world-changing insights from Greg Stier.
“I don’t know about all these teenagers running around here, acting like a bunch of fools!” —Margaret, charter member
“These youth leaders today are just playing all these foolish games with kids and making a mess of our church!” —George, head of the building committee
“Their music is too loud! Their lessons are too short! Youth ministry is unbiblical! We’re just producing a whole bunch of fools and foolishness!” —Jeb, that homeschool parent
“But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise…” —The Apostle Paul (1 Corinthians 1:27)
How God Uses the Foolish To Change the World
The Lord has a penchant for fools and foolishness. He chooses to use a foolish message (1 Corinthians 1:18). The Greek word for “foolishness” is “moria” and is where “moronic” comes from. In other words, God has a divine tendency to use what, to the world anyway, seems like a moronic message spoken through the lips of morons to advance his kingdom purposes.
Go through the Bible, and you’ll clearly see God’s leaning toward using people the world would label as fools to accomplish some of his biggest tasks. God chose to use a…
- novice boat-builder named Noah to save the world from complete annihilation
- young shepherd boy named David to establish the kingdom of Israel
- beauty-pageant winner named Esther to save the Jews from destruction
- fig-picking prophet named Amos to warn a nation headed for crisis
- prejudiced preacher named Jonah to rescue a pagan people from judgment
- determined cupbearer named Nehemiah to rebuild a broken city
- cricket-eating, camel-fur wearing, water-drenched mad man named John the Baptist to prepare the way for Jesus
But of all God’s “foolish” choices, he uses a dozen or so disciples, comprised of fishermen, zealots, blue-collar workers, and even a tax-collector. And it’s to this unlikely rabble that Jesus hands the most important mission in history: the Great Commission. These fools are proof of how God uses the foolish to change the world!
What’s surprising to many is that most of the early disciples (excluding Peter) were just teenagers when they began following Jesus. According to Matthew 17:24-27, taxation was applicable only to those 20 and older.
If I’m reading that correctly, Jesus was a youth leader, with only one adult sponsor (Peter) and one really rotten kid named Judas Iscariot. But with that youth group, Jesus forever impacted humanity.
The Vital Role of Teens
I believe God wants to use an army of fools to, once again, change the world. And nothing is more foolish than teenagers. As goofy as they are (I have one myself), teens are cause-centric and connected. They want a mission that matters, and nothing matters more than the Gospel.
And teens have hundreds, if not thousands, of online and face-to-face friends they can influence. Wouldn’t it be just like Jesus to raise up an unlikely generation of teenagers to change the world again?
Youth leaders, whom church leaders often view as glorified babysitters and semi-godly game organizers, are also in a prime spot. God wants to use them to impact their churches and communities!
