I came across this in the latest issue of Group’s Youth Ministry magazine and wanted to share it, because it feels like a direct answer to my heart, even though I’ve never voiced it. . .to anyone.

We struggle with our identity because people see us as adults whose job it is to play with kids. We go on retreats and summer mission trips. We sometimes play games and goof around at all-nighters with middle schoolers. We head to the high school for lunch or hang out and drink coffee or have pizza with 16- and 17-year-olds. 

So it’s easy to see why we feel we need to prove ourselves. 

We feel better if we look busy. Important people are busy people. This kind of thinking is fueled when our identity is too closely linked to something as fickle as youth work. It also leads to exhaustion. The temptation to prove our “legitimacy” is always there. And if discipleship and evangelism efforts must show tangible results, we’ll naturally start trusting ourselves to bring about change. If we start down this road, it’s not far before we come to a dead end full of resentment and burnout. 

Don’t buy the busy = important lie. Don’t prove anything. Don’t change anyone. Love kids and love God; what could be more imporant than that?

— Steve Merritt