A Call to the Young Men in our Churches

"He who gathers in summer is a prudent son,  
but he who sleeps in harvest is a son who brings shame." (Proverbs 10:5)

For the last 3 years, Elisha has had an on-again, off-again chronic cough that keeps her, as well her parents, up at least a couple hours per night.

As I was reading my daily Proverbs this morning, I couldn't help but reflect (longingly) upon the days of yesteryear when I actually had more time to do things I wish I could do more of these days.

Things like reading the Bible for hours on end early in the morning. Things like waking up early in the morning to pray without falling asleep. Things like be able to go on a walk to meditate on Scripture whenever I pleased.

Anyone who has a family knows that families take time. Especially families with young kids. Parents with children know that if you get even an hour or two of "free me time" in a day, that's awesome.

By God's grace, when I was a young Christian, I was able to spend many, many uninterrupted hours reading the Bible in study and prayer. And I am thankful to this day that I "gathered" in my "summer years". I honestly don't know where I'd be if the prime years of my life were wasted on the trivialities that I see so many young men these days immersed in.

Statistics show that the average teenager wastes 13.2 hours per week on video games. I can only imagine that this is even higher for young men who have graduated.

Statistics also show that the average young person (18-24 years old) sends out approximately 110 texts per day. Now I know that they probably can text 10 times faster than me, but still, this is a huge waste of time.

The truth is, I'd be scared to marry off any of my daughters to most of the young men in this world. How can they ensure the sanctification of their wives by the washing of the Word when all they know how to do with their free time is play video games, text their homies, and watch YouTube clips?

Young people, men especially, understand that you are in the prime of your lives. It is "summer time", and a great harvest of free time is yours for the picking. Please don't waste it. I see so many kids "sleeping in the harvest", something that Solomon says brings great shame. Ask any married person , especially if they have kids (or a house to maintain, bills to pay, food to buy & cook, etc.), if they wished they had more time to just spend with God in prayer and the Word, and I guarantee they will answer in the affirmative. 

In the previous verse, Solomon says,

"A slack hand causes poverty,

but the hand of the diligent makes rich."

Are you in poverty spiritually? It's because your hand is slack. Be diligent with your time, says Solomon, and you will become spiritually rich. The promise and premise is this: "in all toil there is profit" (Prov. 14:23).

Young person, single person, don't waste the bountiful harvest God has presented you with. As Paul says in 1 Corinthians 7, "the appointed time has grown short." The context of that verse is Paul's advice on how single people should live in this world. He says that they should maximize their abundant free time in the service of advancing Christ's kingdom.

May God give us all grace to "redeem" whatever time He has allotted us. (cf. Eph. 5:15-16)

For those of us with less free 'me' time, let us also make the most of all the unique opportunities God has given us to minister to our children.

In Christ, and for His glory to the ends of the earth (through His church),

Pastor Ryan

A couple of books that would be great for any young man to read are:

What He Must Be...If He Wants to Marry My Daughter (Voddie Baucham)

Family Shepherds: Calling and Equipping Men to Lead Their Homes (Voddie Baucham)