Yesterday talking with some of the young men from our youth group, I was impressed by their acknowledgment of wanting to have a future with Christ.  Now on the surface that sounds weird; of course, anyone who knows Christ wants a future with Him; however, we were not talking in abstract theological ideology.  We were talking about careers, wives and families.

We had been looking into Genesis 27 and the dysfunctional family of Abraham the patriarch.  We were looking at it from God’s perspective and how most all the major characters were neglecting God in events and basically in a made “ends justifies the means” scramble to secure the inheritance from Abraham.  Then there was all the all too human character of apathetic Esau.  His philosophy of life:  I will believe it when I see it.  His was a world view that took seriously what he could touch and eat – principles, faith and character as well as other intangible ideas were not of interest to him.  He sold off his birthright for a full belly.

Anyway, back to my point – the guys wanted something different for their futures.  For some it will be at least four to five years to High School graduation.  What will the future hold for them?  Will they believe God that sex is worth waiting for?  Will they believe that studying hard now will pay off later with a job that can sustain a family with children?  Will they believe God that building their character now (with acts of selfless service for others in Christ’s name) is more important than racking up the high score on Counter Strike 2?  You may push back from your computer screen and say – this is all a bit too melodramatic; however, it couldn’t be more real.

I was challenged in my thinking by an author (Steve Farrar) who penned Pointman, How to Ruin Your Life by 40 and Anchorman.  It was Anchorman that I alluded to for these young men.  I, like some of them, do not want to anchor my life to my father’s.  I do not want to continue the chain that was started in my life.  It’s up to me to forge my own link and be the beginning of a new chain.  The challenge is theirs as well.

I asked what they walked away with from Genesis 27.  Boiling their answers into one – they want to trust God with whatever the plan is that He is unfolding in their lives – to do this they must acknowledge Him with purpose in all areas of their lives (Proverbs 3: 5-6).

I have to tell you… not much is more encouraging than sitting down with a small group of young men who are willing to talk frankly about their faith and their lives.  My prayer is that God will give us all the strength to trust Him with our futures (me especially included)!