Complimentary Story
Editor, Wisconsin Christian News:March 2024
According to a recent newspaper headline half of Wisconsin’s youth have depression or anxiety issues. “They apparently don’t know Jesus!” I exclaimed, as I read the headline.
Along with not knowing our Lord, many of today’s youth are lacking a church to worship at, they don’t have the influence and love of Christian friends or family members, nor do they read or know the Bible. Instead, they live in a spiritual vacuum, often relying on drugs and medicine to ease their pain. If their anxieties persist, many will resort to suicide, the leading cause of death among U.S children, teens and young adults. How sad — and completely avoidable.
So what’s the remedy for this ever growing dilemma? Simply this: our youth need to know the God of this Universe, the One who created them, who waits with outstretched arms longing to comfort them and give purpose to their lives. They need to experience the love of Jesus!
The Bible is filled with God’s promises to rescue His people from times of anxiety, depression and worldly stress. In Matthew 11:28 God invites His people to, “Come to Me all you who are weary and heavy burden and I will give you rest.”
In Jeremiah 29:11 God declares, “I know the plans I have for you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
In Jeremiah 33:3 God invites us to, “Call on Me and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things you do not know.”
Christ actually came to this earth to fulfill one of His greatest promises of hope and restoration. In John 10:10, Jesus proclaimed, “I have come that you may have life and have life to the fullest.”
So how do we help the troubled youth of our day? We introduce them to Jesus Christ and the Bible. We encourage them to join Christian entities like the Fellowship of Christian Athletes that offer a safe haven from today’s contentious world. We tell them about church youth groups, Christian camps and Christian radio stations. To fill their spiritual vacuum, we give them a Bible, a Christian tract or other Christian literature. We invite them to accompany us to a Sunday church service or Christian event. We tell them what is missing in their lives. We tell them about Jesus.
This year’s Lenten Season provides a golden opportunity for us as parents, grandparents, friends or family members, an opportunity to connect with troubled teens or young adults. What better time to introduce them to the Savior of the world? With Jesus filling their emptiness they will experience first hand Christ’s boundless love, His extraordinary plan for their lives, and the exciting promise of, “…living life to the fullest.” Who then, will you introduce to our Savior?
-Dave Koy, Wausau, Wis.
