I’m in Hollywood with our high school students on another service trip. Our students have spring break this week and they have given up a few days of that break to serve an inner-city church. I love youth ministry and the opportunity to see students growing and serving others. Some people may shudder at the idea of spending three days with 20 high school students but I still love it, even after 13 years.
There’s a lot to love about youth ministry but one of my favorite things is how they keep me humble.
This is my 557th post at TheChristianNerd. I would consider myself a blogger and have helped others set up their own blogs. My blog isn’t very popular and may never be anything more than a place to interact with a small audience who also loves Jesus and Star Wars. However, I am proud of my blog, the people that I’ve met and the consistent growth I’ve seen over two years.
None of that really matters to our students, though. Some of them read my blog and let me know that they enjoy it. Others acknowledge my blog’s existence yet tell me that they’ve never really checked it out. And still others are shocked to know that I even have a blog, much less people who actually read it.
Whether they read my blog or don’t even know it exists, our students help to keep me humble. They’re not that concerned about my life as a blogger. They just want me to be their youth pastor; they want to know that I care about them and want what’s best for them.
And, by the grace of God, I do care about them and want what’s best for them…even the ones who don’t know that I have a blog.
I love student ministry mostly because I love students. More specifically I love our students and how they encourage me, not just to be a better pastor, but also to be a better person. Sure, if I were home this week I’d be able to take a shower and I’d get better sleep. But I would miss out on so much more than a shower and definitely wouldn’t be living a better life.
What keeps you humble? If you’re not a prideful jerk like me, can you tell me how to be a better person?
This place looks vaguely familiar.
awww thanks Scott. In response, i was very humbled by the homeless; helping them and realizing that we are one and the same. It has been a great few days.