Sheep Shape

On Tuesday we had our usual ENERGY meeting. In the last few weeks the young people have been running workshop sessions of their own, looking at key issues relevant to Christian teenagers today. These have included evangelism, worship, running a Christian Union and more. This week, we were gathering all the 6th Formers together for a session on 'Life After School'. There has been an unprecedented explosion in the number of options now available to post18 year olds in the last 10 years and the previous 'established' route of A-Levels or some vocational apprenticeship followed by University or a 'proper job' is one of many baffling avenues that could be right for the individual concerned.

Of particular interest to me is the plethora of positive year out opportunities that have purpose and direction; I am not a big fan of 'bumming around' different places, just drifting in and out of things with no clear sense of conviction or purpose. Moreover, a cursory glance through any short-term/long-term missions directory will reveal hundreds of excellent ways a young person can dedicate a year of their lives in concentrated service to God at a time when they are unencumbered by more domestic responsibilities like having to work to pay a mortgage!

The 'Life After School' Session went really well and Nicky Summerhill (a Connexions Manager herself) provided some excellent input combining practical pointers with key Kingdom principles. I was praying very carefully about what to say to the dozen or so 6th Formers and God reminded me of Psalm 23. I felt God remind me to remind them that He is a Perfect Shepherd. One of the key things to remember about a Shepherd is that he sees the bigger picture. Most sheep cannot see past the end of their noses but the wonderful truth is that God sees the whole of our lives: beginning, middle and end. Allowing Him to lead us and guide us will ensure we get it right and enjoy His peace and protection whatever the weather.

As well as seeing the bigger picture, the Shepherd also uses His rod and staff to comforts us (Psalm 23:4). This comes in the shape of discipline and direction that will intervene in our lives if we are going down a wrong route. The mature Christian learns to hear God's voice and feel the 'check' of Holy Spirit in these matters. This is why making use of Godly counsel and advice is so important (Proverbs 13:20); it can literally save our (spiritual) lives!

Here are some of the pointers which came out of the session:

• Push some doors
• Take Godly advice and counsel (especially from Parents and Leaders)
• Pray / Keep God at the centre of it all
• Look for a sense of peace in any major decision
• Don't rush things
• Talk to others who are a bit further down the road
• Make use of services like Connexions
• Be excited about this brand new chapter of your life; you are growing up and leaving the teen years behind!
• Don't compare your own experience to others - one size does not fit all.
• Going to University is not compulsory!
• Consider the sort of things you enjoy and are good at e.g. God is probably not calling you to be an English teacher if you do not enjoy books./words/reading and so on.
• Learning to find God's direction in issues like these is an essential life skill for any Christian and the principles you learn through this will stand you in good stead for the future.
• Remember: God is Your Shepherd and He can do a much better job of leading your life than you can.

Have a good day. See you tomorrow.