Jump Start # 1614

Psalms 119:9 “How can a young man keep his ways pure? By keeping it according to Your word.”

  It’s June. Schools are finished for the year. It’s time for graduations and graduation open houses. It’s time for summer vacations. There are many who will be making the big step this fall of attending college for the first time. Many will be living on campus and for the first time, away from home for a long period of time. I still remember dropping off my first child at a college and driving away. I think that was harder than when we took him to kindergarten for the first time. Away from home. On their own. It’s time for responsibilities and character to shine. For many, it’s the beginning of the end of their relationship with God.

Current stats indicate that 65% of high school seniors have engaged in sexual relations and 85% will give up their faith and commitment to the Lord by the time they graduate college. Most won’t make it safely through. They graduate with a fine degree, but what is the cost that to accomplish that? Binge drinking on college campuses is out of control. Many are setting themselves up to be full fledged alcoholics by the time they are in their 30’s.

My father and his generation graduated high school from small towns and were sent across the world to fight in a deadly World War. Many never came home. Today, our grads are sent to universities and many never make it through with their faith. Agenda driven professors make it their goal to destroy faith and brain wash young minds with liberal, ungodly philosophy. Case in point is the tragic events that happened at the Cincinnati zoo when a young boy fell into the gorillas compound. The gorilla had to be killed to save the young child. Reading the responses to this story reveals how some think. Many would rather save the gorilla than the child. Some recommended shooting the parents. These extreme comments come from those who believe animal life and human life are equal. That’s liberal theology. That’s not Biblical. Save the whale but abort a baby. Many see no problem with that.

So, we come to our verse today. Written long before the mess we are in now, but still a beacon through the darkness and a banner to rally under. A great question is posed in this verse. How shall a young man keep his ways pure? Before the answer, this generation must ask yet another question. Why should a young man keep his ways pure? The assumption that a young man ought to is no longer a given. There are many that do not see the need for that. Others feel that there is nothing to stop a young man from being impure, so we might as well accept that this is part of life. Have safe sex. Avoid pregnancy. Be careful of diseases. That’s the way society handles this. Keeping pure is not on the list anymore. It’s hard to preach purity when all around us is impurity. The music, the movies, the language, the websites—these are not being funded and produced by young men. Young men do not have any money. It’s the adults, impure adults, that are flooding the market and polluting the minds of young people. Who changed the laws about same-sex marriages? It wasn’t young people. It was old judges and old politicians. Impure adults are enabling young people to be impure.

In our homes and in our congregations, we must teach young people why they need to be pure. Pure in morals. Pure in thinking. Pure in heart. Pure. We want to drink 100% pure water. No one would buy a bottle of water that was labeled 85% pure. What about the other 15%? All natural. Organic. No preservatives. That’s the way we want our food. If we saw a guy making our sandwich drop a piece of lettuce on the floor and then pick it up and put it on our sandwich, we’d walk out. No way would we eat that. It’s been on the floor. But too often the person that feels that way about his food will sit down and eat that organic, pure sandwich while watching an impure TV show. His belly is pure but not his mind.

Why be pure? Because that’s the way of God. That’s the way of holiness. That’s the way to remain spiritual and please the Lord. Be holy as I am holy. Nothing good comes from impurity. Impurity doesn’t strengthen the family. It doesn’t build stronger congregations. It doesn’t make us more committed to the Lord. Impurity belongs to Satan. Why be pure? That needs to be understood first.

Then comes the how. How can a young man keep his way pure? The answer is in the verse. It states, “by keeping it according to your word.” That’s how. Follow God, He will keep you pure. According to your word is going to include what you are feeding your heart. What movies are you going to? What books are you reading? What music are you listening to? Don’t be naïve. All of those things shapes us and influences us.

According to your word is going to teach you about who you call a friend. Friends influence. God’s word warns us about evil companions. It tells us not to envy the wicked. It even tells us to avoid angry people, lest we become like that. Build a network of superior people around you. Find quality people to help you be better on the inside and out. Find those that love the Lord. God’s word will help you. Stories about people like Samson, are not just for kids Bible classes. They are truth. They teach us. Samson kept hanging around Philistines. The women in his life came from the Philistine nation. Is it any wonder that Samson had trouble. If you hang around the enemy, you’ll be doing what the enemy does. Samson got into a real mess. Amnon, David’s son is another example to consider. He listened to a worthless friend who gave him worthless advice. That led to Amnon raping his step sister. Worthless people will take you down the wrong road. God’s word, if followed, will help you.

According to your word is going to put God before you. Worship, obedience, praise, prayer and thankfulness is going to help shape you into being a powerful disciple.

The love of God, His people and His ways is how all this can be accomplished. It starts at home. It carries on in a congregation that reflects those values. College years do not have to be the death of faith. Young people can come through stronger and more committed because of the choices that they make.

How? By God’s word. That is always the answer.

Moms and dads need to give serious thought about the faith of their child as they head off to college. Where will they attend? What is the church like? What is the college like? How will their child remain pure? Pray about that. Do something about that. Use this summer for some serious conversations.

Roger