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Straight from a Youth Worker's Mouth
Cristy Allen

Sustain

This Devotional Series is designed specifically for adults who work with young people. Your calling is unique and requires unique support and encouragement. I hope this series inspires you, fills you, connects you and occasionally makes you laugh. May God Bless you richly as you serve him and his young people! ~Christy

Day 1
In this devotional series we will focus on each of the definitions of this word and how it applies to our lives and our ministries.

According to Webster’s New World Dictionary the definition of sustain is as follows:

Sustain “(sә stāń) vt [< L sus, under + tenere, to hold ] 1. to keep in existence; maintain or prolong 2. provide sustenance for 3.to carry the weight of; support 4. to endure; withstand 5. to suffer (an injury, loss, etc.) 6. to uphold the validity of 7. to confirm; corroborate.

It’s that time of year again; the youth are back in school which means they are back in our ministries in full force. How will you fortify yourself to prepare for the onslaught of activities, meetings, visits, phone calls, and parents?! What will “sustain” you? What will you do to help “maintain or prolong” your ministry? Especially after those long grueling hours when you feel that you are merely existing and not living?

Consider these questions as you read the following scripture.

Psalm 51:12 (NIV) Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

Remember the joy of your salvation, the joy of your calling to ministry in the first place? This joy overflows, it excites us, inspires us, fills us! This is why we are in ministry. We couldn’t contain ourselves! God filled us with love, so much so that we wanted to share it, particularly with young people.

However, the joy of our salvation can seem like a Sugar/Caffeine Rush. Most of us depend on certain things we think will help “sustain” us, such as a venti, double shot, java chip frap or how about Red Bull and Skittles. These things give us a super boost, and keep us going but only for a short time. Eventually we crash.

The joy of our salvation gave us a super boost in the beginning. It got us started on our journey. But, overtime, we seem to forget the joy. We need to have that joy restored in us; we need to remember it, relive it, and draw strength from it.

So what is the key to keeping this joy fresh within us? The second part of this scripture says “…grant me a willing spirit….” As we become more willing to allow God to work within our hearts, our ministries and our lives we start to live into the fullness of all God has for us. We need to continually focus our will so that even when we are bogged down by the crazy busyness of this world, we can be infused with the hope and everlasting promises of the Kingdom of God! As we allow God to work in us we become tied into that everlasting stream. We are then able constantly to draw from its waters! Surely that will keep us going in this wonderful world of Youth Ministry.

So to sustain you, keep you in existence, to maintain and even prolong your ministry; pray Psalm 51:12 and live the joy of your salvation, have a willing spirit, and know God will do the rest.

Activity:
Write out your story. If you don’t have a specific “salvation story,” write out the story of your calling, or another moment in your life where you experienced the presence and grace of God in your life. Focus on the joy of the experience. How did you feel? Was it powerful, peaceful, overwhelming? How did you respond? With whom did you share?
How long has it been since you’ve thought about it? Have you ever shared it with your students?

Challenge:
Share this devo with your partners in ministry and your student leaders, share your life-changing story with them and encourage them to share their stories with the group. Challenge them to actually write down their stories and encourage each other always to remember the joy of their stories and be willing to share it!

For your Listening Pleasure:
From David Crowder’s, The Lime, CD – “Sing Like the Saved” (listen here)

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