What’s not to love about young people? From children all the way up through college aged, many of them are joyful, enthusiastic, hard workers, servants, and VERY evangelistic. But there are a couple of qualities about young people that I especially appreciate:

They’re not afraid to ask questions. In class or in person, young people like to ask questions. They want answers so they can figure things out, and they expect those answers to come straight from the Bible. They ask about worship, baptism, women’s role, the second coming, angels, relationships, and Bible translations. And if they’re not satisfied with the answers, they’ll tell you so. If something doesn’t make sense to them, they’ll keep at it until it does. As a result, they are building their faith and their understanding of Scripture. Shouldn’t we all be so fearless and persistent? If we don’t really get why we do what we do, shouldn’t we be humble enough to ask questions and dig for answers (2 Tim. 3:17)? Shouldn’t it bother us if we don’t know enough to defend our faith (1 Pet. 3:15)? Spending time with young people challenges me to keep growing in my knowledge of God’s Word!

They love to be together. It really matters to them. There aren’t many things more beautiful than young people getting together to sing, sitting together in worship, or supporting each other. They act happy when they see one another. They don’t roll their eyes when another ‘youth activity’ is planned because they enjoy spending time with each other. They see togetherness as essential to their happiness.I remember feeling that way when I was young. Shame on me for the times when I forget that God wants His people to love being together (Heb. 10:24-25; Rom. 12:10).

I thank God for the energy, personality, and fun our young people bring to the church family table. And I’m eternally grateful for their inspiring examples of no-nonsense learning and close-knit community.