Chosen vs Needed

We all know youth ministry has its pendulum swings of being extremely rewarding and extremely difficult. There is a phrase that God has shared with me many times throughout my years of ministry that I realize should probably be my personal motto for ministry. He constant reminds me over and over that “He doesn’t need me, but He chooses to use me.” He uses this truth on both ends of the youth ministry spectrum to remind me of different truths I need to hear.

He doesn’t need me. 

As youth ministers we are in a privileged position to be able to walk beside so many students and encourage them in their life and their faith.  I certainly feel the responsibility of trying to encourage students in my ministry to take the next step in faith. Sometimes this gives me a big head of feeling like I am the one to bring these students to Jesus. I feel it is my responsibility to “save them.” And that is where God gives me that humble reminder that He doesn’t need me to do His work. He reminds me that I am not the savior to these students- He is.  As I am reminded of this truth- my pride is deflated and I am put back in my place. At the same time I have a sigh of relief remembering that God is in charge and He will lead these students where He needs them to go to experience His love. For some, that may mean I get to be a part of that faith journey and see amazing strides, for others, that means I need to trust in God’s plan and their faith formation will happen elsewhere, or at a different life stage.

God reminds me many times that He doesn’t need me for anything. He is fully God and capable of anything He desires. I am reminded of the passage in Job where he responds to Job and his friends in Chapters 38-41 about their power compared to His. God asks “who gives orders to the morning, or shown the dawn its place” (Job 38:12) which reminds me if God can take care of all things in the universe, he certainly can take care of my students. With that, I lift my students back to the Lord, trusting he will take care of them, and I have a sigh of relief remembering the pressure is not on me.

He chooses to use me. 

                On the flip side, God reminds me that even though He doesn’t need me, He still chooses to use me. Even in the midst of getting my pride deflated, He reminds me He still wants to use me. In the times of the pendulum swing where youth ministry is really hard, He reminds me He chose me in the midst of the hard times. When I get discouraged, He reminds me He chose me specifically to build into these students even if I don’t see results yet. He chose me specifically to love and encourage them. He chose me to share who Jesus is and encourage them in their faith. John 15:16 states, “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last…” Despite not needing me- He still chooses to use me.

I think this is a reminder for all of us as we have different days in ministry. The reminder God chose each of us to serve in youth ministry. What an awesome and overwhelming privilege! At the same time- we are not the savior of youth in our midst- because He doesn’t need us. He can accomplish what He needs to without us.