Who is discipling you?

I remember my first ministry role. I walked in with a passion to serve students and to help them experience the love of Jesus. I told everyone about the activities and experiences we created. The desire to be creative kept pushing me to want to do more for each student: implementing service projects, retreats, camps, mission trips, worship gatherings, and messages to share God's story. I loved being a youth pastor; it captured so much of my time. I wanted to pour my energy, my time, and my passion into serving students.

I intentionally begged, borrowed, and stole from other youth leader's program ideas. I studied and attempted to copy the successes of other leaders in my own ministry. I had immersed myself in the needs and events for students, but I was slowly experiencing a void in ministry that was deeply spiritual.

Frequently, I read the words, "SEEK FIRST the kingdom of God". I taught about Matthew 6:33. I designed retreats around the statement, but did I understand it? This verse is in the center of a discussion about needs like clothes, food, and water. It hit me. I spent my time looking for what I thought I needed for the students, but I was failing to seek God for ME.

I was trying to give what I did not fully have. I had my Bible in one hand; I was trying to serve students with the other. I never allowed the truth of SEEK FIRST to consistently capture my attention. I realized two significant issues: I had never journeyed through a discipleship process for me, and I did not let someone speak into my life.

I needed to follow first where I would SEEK FIRST.

I followed others ministry plans but I did not grasp Paul's challenge to follow another's example of following Jesus (1 Corinthians 11:1). I hadn't given someone permission to challenge me on my journey. I never asked someone to let me follow them as they were SEEKING JESUS FIRST. My ministry changed when, through the encouragement of others, I learned to SEEK JESUS FIRST. My ministry had developed from fragments or the scraps I had gathered from other' programs instead of a passion ignited by the Holy Spirit. My ministry began to overflow of my heart not borrowed truth.

This month the NNYM team is talking about discipling youth leaders. Have you intentionally set up discipleship systems in your own life that mirror what you are expecting students to create in theirs?

We all follow someone. Have you noticed someone's walk with Jesus and sought to model your walk with God after their pursuit of Jesus? Or have you only sought to model their outfit for your next preaching gig? Who have you invited into your life to help you SEEK FIRST the Kingdom of God?

We hope that your network is a place where you can go deeper into SEEKING FIRST the kingdom of God. We pray as network leaders that you are looking to help younger leaders seek first the kingdom of God. If you would like to explore this discussion, join us on our next Network Conversation. Youth leaders following first, SEEKING GOD FIRST is important to us. Join us as we set the table for discipling youth leaders.

Youth leaders, please find someone you are willing to follow that will disciple you so that you can spiritually give students what you are experiencing. Seek God first - Ministry will follow!

When I was young, I set out to change the world. When I grew a little older, I perceived that this was too ambitious, so I set out to change my state. This too, I realized as I grew older, was too ambitious, so I set out to change my town. When I realized I could not even do this, I tried to change my family. Now as an old man, I know that I should have started by changing myself. If I had started with myself, maybe then I would have succeeded in changing my family, the town, or even the state - and who knows, maybe even the world!

Check out our February Network Conversation with Ray Chang on Discipling Youth Leaders Here

Quoted in Ronald W. Richardson, Family Ties that Bind: A Self-Help Guide to Change through Family of Origin Therapy (Bellingham: Self-Counsel Press, 1995), 35.