This blog post is inspired by reading through the book titled Thoughts For Young Men by J.C. Ryle. Ryle writes the book in his old age so he offers a perspective that I can really appreciate. He brings a lifetime of wisdom to the table and for me, the very fact that he would invest his energies into offering wisdom to young men shows how important he believes that particular age group to be. All quotes are from J.C. Ryle unless otherwise noted.
Here are three reasons the church should target young men:
Because Satan Does
In war, the general must determine the "decisive point" (Jim Wilson, Principles of War) and then concentrate on it. The decisive point refers to the one place that, if victory was there achieved, would be key to victory on the whole. Satan is the enemy of God's people and understands how strategic men are. More specifically, young men.
"Young men, Satan is working hard for your destruction, however little you may think it. You are the prize for which he is specially contending. He foresees you must either be the blessings or the curses of your day...well does he understand that to spoil the bud is the surest way to mar the flower."
Ryle goes on to say that "youth is the seedtime of full age-the moulding season in the little space of human life-the turning point in the history of man's mind. By the shoot we judge the tree...by the character of the young man we may generally judge what he will be when he grows up."
Church, if Satan can see how strategic young men are to his purposes then we should be able to as well and we should be willing to out resource him at that point.
Because "People's Hearts Are Seldom Changed If They Are Not Changed When They Are Young"
Ryle talks about the steep difficulty of turning to serve God later in life. Patterns are forged in youth and very difficult to change later in life.
Ryle quotes the Archbishop Leighton: "The way of sin is downhill; a man cannot stop when he would. Holy desire and serious conviction are not like the servants of the Centurion, ready to come and go at your desires; rather are they like the unicorn to Job--they will not obey your voice, nor attend at your bidding (Matt. 8:19; Job 39:9,10)."
Because We Don't Want To Give them A "Bitter Cup To Drink" Later In Life
Scripture tells us that a young man is filled with physical strength and vigor while age brings wisdom: The glory of young men is their strength, but the splendor of old men is their gray hair (Proverbs 20:29). Ryle talks about youth as the golden opportunity for learning, for developing holy desires and forging serious convictions. The problem is that without guidance most young men won't understand this until it is too late:
"They threw away the golden opportunity for learning. They would not get wisdom at the time when their minds were most able to receive it, and their memories most ready to retain it. And now it is too late. They have not leisure to sit down and learn. They have no longer the same power, even if they had the leisure. Lost time can never be redeemed. This too is a bitter cup to drink."
Unrighteousness and folly sown in youth will translate into a bitter cup in adulthood that will "burden their conscience and drink up their spirits into adulthood." Wherever possible, the church should be committed to helping young men be spared of this in later life.
The young men that the Lord will bring to us will be counted as a precious gift, an arrow that we will, like warriors, hold in our quiver as a gracious commodity of Christ's kingdom. To the extent that Satan desires to advance his kingdom, may Jesus Christ all the more!
In Christ,
Pastor Kevin
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