Getting Their Attention

By Chaplain (Col) Stephen W. Leonard, USA, Ret.

Getting the attention of young people is a great big industry into which billions of dollars have been poured. Advertising aimed at the minds of the young is massive in the amount of resources aimed at accomplishing the goal of “getting their attention.”

But to what end? Their salvation or their destruction? These enterprises do not care when they are only after the profits realized by successfully selling their products.

Are parents still able, after a certain age, of getting and keeping the attention of their children? Is the church any better? Are teachers? Is Hollywood? Athletics? Drugs? Addictions? Boyfriends? Girlfriends? Is Jesus ever successful in getting young people’s attention? Short of their actual conversion, Jesus is too often far from their minds.

What does it take to get focused on that which makes a difference in the outcome of their lives? Cemeteries are unfortunately filled with those young people’s graves, of whom the false glitter attracted them more. And if the grave was somehow avoided at an early age, then to follow are the devastation of marriages, their children’s ruined lives, and redeeming relationships broken, all littering the landscape far into the future of these once “impressionable” lives.

Or the Life-giver purposefully made a penetrating attention-getting entrance into their life, which transformed the outcome. Jesus addresses those others whose attention was not eternally captured to elicit a life-changing transformation. These thought they were safe when they came to Him, thinking their lives were just “hunky dory.”

Their shock has to be enormous when they hear Him say at the most critical time, “Depart from me, I never knew you.” Jesus and His Word never penetrated their hearts when genuine penetration was the greatest need.

When hearing the Word from many sources is non-attention getting, dull ears are responsible. The loud cacophony of the distracting “glitter” wins out. “Vanity fair” in one form or another attracts more to its destructing end.

We want the attention of the young men at the Paul Anderson Youth Home during the months they are with us. We pray for the Holy Spirit to penetrate their hearts with the gospel message from our mouths. In the opportunities that living and working in the midst of His creation present to us in so many, many varied situations, telling creatively this life-giving message of His truth, we desire to truly reach their hearts.

This is what we are all about—the overwhelming urge to see them eventually standing beside us in glory. Getting people’s attention at every age is yours and my goal of fulfilling Jesus’ great commission: “Make disciples!” Of our children, family, neighbors, and co-workers, all we come in contact with. Get life-producing attention!

Encouragement