Recently I've been thinking a lot about how I interact with students and the depth of our conversations. I've had a few students who have shared some pretty tough things with me and I've been a part of some conversations with parents about consequences.
The more I've thought about these situations the more I've wondered what it must feel like as a student to approach someone and share a struggle. It's got to be so hard to admit things especially because in so many cases the consequences seem the same if you admit it or get caught.
Here's my goal the next month. To make sure students who come to me and want to talk feel supported and encouraged in their honesty.
I want to make sure that anyone who comes and admits something knows that I will care for them and do everything in my power and the churches power to help them. I want them to feel cared for in their struggle and not rejected because of it.
I'm not calling anyone out particularly in this post but myself. But maybe it's something we all need to think about in the Youth Ministry world. How good of a job have we done creating a safe haven for students to talk about struggles, fears, doubts and pain?
Is. 1:18 “Come now, let us reason together,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool."
I'm wondering how much teenagers really believe us when we try to teach them this verse. Consequences seem to have such longer tails these days as things end up on the internet and are stuck there forever. It's almost as if the "sin" gets stapled to their chest or "profile" like a scarlet letter that they don't know how to get rid of.
What extra steps do we need to take now to help them truly believe they are "white as snow" in the LORD's eyes. Especially when many of those "sins" will follow them around online for quite a while. Information that gets put up in places on the internet is so hard to get rid of. How does a student who makes a mistake where pictures are taken deal with being told they are "white as snow" when those pictures continue to follow them.
Bottom line we have to show so much grace and mercy and care for students who both come to us and admit sin and those who end up getting caught in sin. But, I believe that we need to do a better job of making sure those who come to us and admit things are taken care of.
