BY: Bro. Jonathan Pablito
An idealistic young man can either become a mighty evangelist or a ruthless communist. The question is who goes out to him to win his heart and mind.
The Situation
Baguio has now reached a population exceeding 300,000. Half of the population are students enrolled in more than 200 schools in the city. 50% are college students from the Cordilleras, Ilocandia and the rest of Northern Luzon. 20% are high school students. The remaining 30% are elementary pupils.
Before I go any further, let us touch the enormous issues affecting the Filipino youth today: Broken families due to broken marriages and absence of parents in children’s formative years, overt sexual themes of movies and primetime TV leading to teenage pregnancies, computer games so addicting that they cause massive school failures and drop-outs, rampant pornography in the internet, and many other problems arising from economic, political, and socio-cultural issues.
In addition to this, I attended a symposium conducted by the Social Weather Station and I was surprised when a resource speaker stated that according to surveys, one of the biggest problems that confronts the country today is that the youth have no more dreams. In Filipino, “Wala nang pangarap sa buhay.” When I heard this, I felt angry inside. Something had to be done!
My thoughts then went to Baguio, FBCFI, and my two young siblings and eight cousins residing in our home.
The Potential
Back then when I was a youth leader and musician in FBCFI, my mindset was that ministry was the activities you did in church. The outside world was full of temptations and I did not want to be “yoked with unbelievers.” This mindset, although with the best intentions, hindered me to be an evangelist in my spheres of influence. I had plenty of classmates, cousins and acquaintances whom I simply avoided because, first, I wanted to be “holy” and second, I simply didn’t know how to share my faith outside of my functions and activities in the church.
Today, I have the privilege of working for PNP officers who are very clear with their values. They are very successful government officers and at the same time, they have unquestionable integrity as Christians. They make it clear to everyone that the success of their careers and family lives is because of their faith in God. They are like magnets to other policemen and people outside our organization. Colleagues and higher ranking officers come to them for advice and prayer. More than once, I saw grown men – even generals who are praying with tears in their eyes.
Through them, I learned that Christianity encompasses everything – no holy or secular. It’s all or nothing. The world is waiting and watching to see if finally the Christians will walk their talk and change the world.
Joseph, Daniel, Esther, Nehemiah, Meshach, Shadrach, and Abednego were young Jews who found themselves serving pagan kings. Because of their excellence and their steadfast faith in God, they gained the favor of their masters and they changed the course of history. Through them, the whole Jewish race was saved from genocide several times and even the kings they served became believers in God.
The Challenge
We need to engage the youth if we want high impact revival and change in this generation. We need to know what their spiritual, emotional, and physical needs are and lead them to the answers in the word of God. There is thirst for genuine transformation in this generation. We need to strengthen our Christian youth so that their faith and values will be clear to their family members, classmates, work colleagues and friends.
We need to evangelize them, disciple them, support them, and finally send them to be real Christians in the real world, naturally, whether in work, play, or study. No pretenses. No trying too hard or changing the voice and facial expression to share the Word. It is about just living the abundant life in Christ and fulfilling the Great Commission in ordinary language and in ordinary day-to-day interactions and decisions.
Again, let’s start where we are. For me personally, I rekindled my relationships with youth leaders in FBCFI, my siblings and cousins living in Baguio. Whether it’s a personal visit, a text message, or e-mail (Friendster included), I go out of my way to brighten someone’s day and listen for any signs of problem. When the budget is not tight, my wife and I buy John Maxwell books and give them as personal gifts to FBCFI youth leaders. As Dr. Maxwell said, “Touch the heart before you ask for the hand.”
Yes, the youth have many needs. It’s not easy to go down to their level and get involved in their struggles. But once God touches their hearts, they will be evangelists – lighting spiritual fires in the campuses, homes, boarding houses - whenever and wherever they are.
