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“If the wind won’t serve, take to the oars.”
I believe it’s inherent in human nature to find reasons to avoid doing things we should do. We’re procrastinators by nature, and the best way to procrastinate is to decide that what needs doing isn’t our job in the first place.
One of the biggest excuses we have as college students is just that: we’re college students. “I’ll lead the church in the future; I don’t have to do it now.” “My parents are the ones who are in charge; the church doesn’t need me when there are so many other able bodies.” “I’ll take the reins when it’s my turn; it’s not my job now.” “I’m just a kid.”
Besides the fact that Paul tells Timothy to not let anyone despise his youth (1 Tim. 4:12), there’s a pretty big roadblock to using “I’m just a kid” as an excuse to not serve God now: Jesus was also “just” a kid. The recorded part of His ministry began when He was around 30 and ended around age 33, making Him still a pretty young guy by our life expectancy standards.
Kenny Chesney sings a song entitled “Just a Kid.” Read the lyrics:
 Well the news spread through Jerusalem, tonight a child is born
There are shepherds falling to their knees, and Angels blowing horns
But in their golden halls the Pharisees
Scoffed and drank their wine
They said it’s only Hebrew prophecy
We don’t care and besides He just a kid
That’s all He is
One more pebble in the gravel
One more rumor in the rabble
How can He be king?
He’s just a kid
Well in no time He seen the world was knocking on His door
Performed miracles and wonders they had never see before
Soon the Pharisees stopped laughing
The silver sun was paid
And near the end He knelt down in the garden and He prayed:
I’m just a kid
That’s all I am
I’ll need Your strength to see me through it
But if it is Your will I’ll do it
But how can I be king?
I’m just a kid
Now I think about the Baby and the Man at Christmas time
Of mothers, sons and fathers and children just like mine
About the power in unselfishness, love and sacrifice
The Gift that we were given and the price
And how the news spread through Jerusalem, tonight a child is born
There are shepherds falling to their knees, and angels blowing horns
I wonder how on Earth the Pharisees
could scoff and drink their wine
And say He’s only Hebrew prophecy
We don’t care and besides He’s just a kid
That’s all He is
One more pebble in the gravel
One more rumor in the rabble
And how can He be king? He’s just a kid
The thing about saying we’re just kids is that if Jesus didn’t get to use that as an excuse, why should we? If we’re called to be like Him, why wouldn’t we expect to work every day that we’re given, no matter our age?
The song is right: Jesus was just a kid. A kid who was about His Father’s business from the start (Luke 2:49). A kid who ate with sinners, regardless of what other people thought of it (Matthew 9:10).  A kid who carried my cross every day of His life. If He did that for me, why wouldn’t I work for Him every day of mine? Jesus was just a kid. But He was, and is, a king. And we’re heirs to the same throne because of what was done for us (Romans 8:17).
There will always be a reason not to serve God. But those reasons don’t outweigh the benefits of service. The starting point to serving God doesn’t come when you get your degree and you “grow up.” There’s actually not a true starting line, but there will be a finish line, and we don’t know when we’ll cross it. There’s too much good to be done in the world to wait until we aren’t kids anymore, because we’re always going to be kids. We’re children of the King.
“If not you, who? If not now, when?”

 

Gillian Richard

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