There are certain things I stumble on social media platform like Facebook and they bring me to tears. Young people these days have resorted to showing God little or no respect on any matter that bothers them. The pressure on them seems to have cheated them out of what they stand to gain by knowing God. I call these younger ones Children of irreverence. Nothing do they hold sacrosanct so long as it concerns God. When they bother with attending church service, it is to attend a fashion show where they show off their might as slay queens and kings – whatever they believe they are slaying other than their already tortured lives in a country like Nigeria. One would likely say that these young ones have no one to put them aright on issues of morality and how to go about receiving from God. You may be right. Parents have abdicated from their moral responsibilities to their children as the effects of economic crunch bite harder and hence most of them are walking the tight road of rat race.

I want to appreciate God for making me to finally turn on my laptop to work on this particular topic I have had to preach on in a Youth Harvest Sunday some weeks ago. In a world that is fast toppling our strong belief in God because of end-time events that seemingly appear to have relegated God to the background, the onus has fallen on every child of God and in pleasant places for so doing, to help in God’s ministry of soul-harvesting. Real open-doors don’t happen in the absence of true repentance.

The treasures of this earth are hidden from our youth who are far from God. I want you to know today that coming closer to God while one is young opens a lot vista of opportunities to themselves. I will want to encourage you to exploit God as much as you can and you’ll have the spirit of contentment and fulfillment walk you the rest of your many years here on earth and in good health too.

There are ways one can activate God’s grace for His blessings to fall upon their lives.

1.       Thanksgiving: How do you prepare before the weekend or during the week days on what to give to God when you find yourself in Church on Sunday? Try and remember the story of the Widow who gave her last and Jesus pointed her out as the one who gave her all. I’ll want you to remember the single leper who went back to Jesus to show appreciation for visiting healing upon him. His healing became permanent. Remember, God owes everything we have inclusive of whatever we are. Read Psalm 50: 10-15. Thanksgiving is a gesture of appreciation which is an application to God to do more. If you want more from God, appreciate Him more with your substance. Whining and complaining wouldn’t help you here.

2.       Dance-giving: Forgive my audacity of playing with English word, but I want to believe you understood me on this one. Most times young people attend church service and when it is time to give thanks, they do not back it up with dance-giving. Whenever you are having your thanks in your hands and before God, try as much as you can to out-dance King David. If a king could dance to the point of having God rebuking his mockers, you with numerous haters, what are you waiting for? Dance and dance again and make it a lifestyle whenever you hear such cute gospel music that gives God all the praise and dominion over your challenges and needs. Read 2^nd Samuel 6: 12-23.

3.       Sacrificial Offering: What transpired between God and King Solomon in 1^st Kings 3 from verse 3 is very instructive. As you cannot out-give God, your attempt to reward Him and appreciate Him by offering Him sacrifices is enough to cause God come to you and beg you for your heart’ desires for Him to have them accomplished for your sake. This is where you need wisdom and strong negotiation skills to see you make good. But believe me; it is all by God’s grace. Just dare God and see if He would not open the windows of heaven and pour out His riches upon you.

4.       Sowing Seed Into The Hands of Men Of God: The account of the Shunammite Woman speaks volume about this particular means of discovering and activating God’s grace in your life. Even when all wasn’t well, she still said this; “It is well” What about you? Wouldn’t you have cried blue murder and castigate the Man of God for being such a rip-off and fake on social media? But this depends on the type of Man of God you ended up with. Pray for the spirit of circumspection and discernment to fall on you so you’ll not be devoured by these turncoats who are out for their daily bread and not about soul-winning and charity (love).

5.       Sacrificially Working For God: No one in the service of God and His human creature has ever begged for food. No! It is not in God’s character to belittle His own by turning them into beggars except where He is out to have His glory trumpeted to His high heavens – and no one shares in His glory. These days, what is obtainable is to have youth who the Church train in certain gifted talents and at the end of the day, they still went ahead to collect remuneration from the Church. None is patient enough to have God reward them. I blame the youth less here when the flamboyant lifestyle of certain pastors leaves little for these youth to cling on to in a material-inclined world.