MORNINGSTAR YOUTH MINISTRIES

MORNINGSTAR YOUTH MINISTRIES

THE GAME WITHIN THE YOUTH NOWADAYS

15 ¶ And Laban said unto Jacob, Because thou art my brother, shouldest thou therefore serve me for nought? tell me, what shall thy wages be?

16 And Laban had two daughters: the name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel.

17 Leah was tender eyed; but Rachel was beautiful and well favoured.

18 And Jacob loved Rachel; and said, I will serve thee seven years for Rachel thy younger daughter.

19 And Laban said, It is better that I give her to thee, than that I should give her to another man: abide with me.

20 And Jacob served seven years for Rachel; and they seemed unto him but a few days, for the love he had to her.

21 And Jacob said unto Laban, Give me my wife, for my days are fulfilled, that I may go in unto her. 23 And it came to pass in the evening, that he took Leah his daughter, and brought her to him; and he went in unto her.

22 And Laban gathered together all the men of the place, and made a feast.

23 And it came to pass in the evening, that he took Leah his daughter, and brought her to him; and he went in unto her.

24 And Laban gave unto his daughter Leah Zilpah his maid for an handmaid.

25 And it came to pass, that in the morning, behold, it was Leah: and he said to Laban, What is this thou hast done unto me? did not I serve with thee for Rachel? wherefore then hast thou beguiled me?

26 And Laban said, It must not be so done in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn.

27 Fulfil her week, and we will give thee this also for the service which thou shalt serve with me yet seven other years

 

God wants you as a single person to enjoy where you are on the way to where you’re going, however, for this to become a reality you have to take off every mask and stop playing game with your life and destiny. The above verse reveals to us as incidence that took place many years ago in the land of pada-aram in Syrian land. The characters of this story of games include LABAN, LEAH, RACHEL AND JACOB. If you read the whole account, you’ll discover some lesson of wisdom. The story line reveals to us that Rachel was very beautiful and attractive. The attraction for Rachel was so strong that Jacob was willing to work seven yeas to have her as a wife.

Can you imagine a man getting into a fresh land and resuming for a new job only to pledge his seven years wages as dowry for a wife. The game has began. A close study of the story line reveals to us that they were all playing games.

  1. LABAN:

  • Laban was a master mafia and the initiator of this evil plot

  • He took law into his hand and did as he willed.

  • He played games with his daughters’ destiny and marital fulfillment.

  • He must figure out that Rachel was beautiful enough to have someone else but Leah was a left over. What an evil mindset.

  • As parent we have to be careful of how we handle issues that affect the destiny of our children. As guardians and stewards on behalf of God. We will one day be called to give account of our stewardship.

  1. LEAH:

It’s so funny to see Leah playing a role that she was not casted for, how can you be absent at auditioning and yet take up the costume to act someone else role.

  • She knew that Jacob and Rachel were in love and agreed to step into her sisters shoes because she allowed her father and her age pressurize her into evil.

  • She was not considering the consequences of her action but enjoyed the game.

  1. JACOB:

The funniest character in this game is bobo Jacob

After seven years of working with Laban and courting with Rachel, Should he not have known the sound of her voice, the fragrance of her presence, and her shape even in the darkness?

If you claim to love someone and you live in the same compound for seven years, can you still mistake them for someone else?

How could he sleep with Leah all through the night and claim not to be aware of the game.

I submit to you that Jacob was playing a dangerous game, he felt he could eat his cake and still have it but this time he was in for trouble.

  1. RACHEL:

The last character in thus Biblical soap is Rachel. It is easy for anyone to excuse her from the game but a closer look reveals that she was also playing games with her life. The story line reveals to us that a date was fixed for their wedding and invitations were sent out only for the bride to be replaced.

  • How come she allowed herself to be replaced even though her name was on the invitation card as the bride?

  • Can she really claim to be unaware of Leah being substituted for her and spending the night with Jacob

  • How come she never fought to get what belonged to her

She was probably abiding by the evil philosophy of “whatever will be will be” not realizing that an object will remain stagnant until a force is applied. If not for Jacob that fought, she probably would have been left out forever or is there a possibility that she was not really as in love with Jacob as Jacob was with her. She too was playing games.

All the character in the Biblical soap were playing games and they characterize a great number of single people today. Like Esau and his birthright being lost through a mess of pottage (Genesis 25:29-34) many single people play deadly games that rob them of God’s glory and the fulfillment they should have.

OUR GREATEST HOPE

What is your greatest hope for your children and your (others outside your family who are part of the next generation)? Is it that they will become men and women of companion, honesty, morality, responsibility, selflessness, loyalty, discipline and sacrifice? Your hope should be that they will become men and women of faith, trusting Jesus Christ as their savior and seeking to follow Him as the Master of their lives every day.

While we cannot make this decision for others, we can show them the way by being an example of Christ’s love and of His power to transform every life that is submitted to Him.

A word of caution, however, is in order here. We cannot be faked. If Christ is not real to us or if we haven’t learned to walk with Him and submit our lives to Him every day, then our spiritual impact on those who follow us will be far less than it might have been. Young people are very sensitive to hypocrisy; if they sense it in us; they will dismiss our pretenses and pay no attention to our advice. On the other hand, if they can sense our faith is sincere and our love is authentic, then they will respect us and take us seriously (even when they know we are not perfect).

This is why it is important to being building our lives on the solid foundation of Jesus Christ now! Instead of waiting until it is too late and the problems of old age overwhelm us. Every gardener known’s that mature fruits do not appear overnight. It takes time to grow and so does the fruit of the Spirit in our lives. Bible urges us to “be mature and complete, not lacking anything” James 1:4

Our greatest impact on others often comes not from what we say but from what we do. Glory!

A WORD FOR SINGLE

For one who is seeking the face of God for a marriage partner, attitude is everything. The period of waiting can be burdensome, or otherwise, depending on your attitude. It is never the length of time one has to wait nor the age of the seeker that is the problem, as some think. The problem is always that of the attitude of the seeker. One with a wrong attitude will see the period of waiting as too long. This can lead to talking wrong decisions. Such single usually live in frustration, focusing on nothing else but marriage. While single, you can live a totally fulfilling life when your life is filled with Jesus Christ. Therefore, “…seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matthew 6:33).

A wrong attitude manifests in impatience, self-management and carnality. These, in turn, lead to grievous sins and compromise. Wrong attitude had made many to derail, go into immorality or unscriptural marriages. Thy usually end up making a shipwreck of their lives and Christian faith.

A right attitude, on the other hand, triumphs during the period of waiting and eventually testifies to the faithfulness of God. One with a right attitude knows assuredly that all things work together for good to them that love God. He or she then waits for God to lead her to the right partner at God’s own time. The period of waiting for God’s choice should be a period of:

(1) Prayer: ask God to work in you His good will and help you conform to the image of Jesus, and then He will give you the wisdom and discernment in making a decision. Develop a prayer routine that you can follow daily until the answer comes (Matthew 7:7-11). Get rid of idol in your heart. Avoid telling your prayer partner the name of the person God has revealed to you. Avoid these wrong methods of knowing the will of God in marriage – prophecies from others, friendly suggestions (1 Chronicle 17:4; 1 Kings 13; 22:5-37), choosing by sight (1 Samuel 16: 6-7), just taking someone by faith, putting of fleece and casting of lots (Acts 1:14-26).

(2) Patience: to run ahead of God is to invite trouble to yourself (Hebrews 10:35-36; Psalm37: 7-8; Eccl. 7:8). To choose to wait for God’s time is to avoid a life of regret and unnecessary sad stories. Learn to trust in God, resting upon His unfailing promises. The more you trust Him, the less you worry.

(3)  Peace: callous remarks and taunting by friends and relations can bring a raging storm of anxiety and fretting to the heart. This must not be allowed. Read John 14:27 and 16: 33. The right response to every taunt is to stay your heart on God, to rest in him (Isaiah 26:3). Be not overcome by the feeling of loneliness but turn it into a beautiful, fruitful and fulfilling time with God. Reach out to others (Matthew 28:18-20). Be yourself. Do not go with crowd. Stand out.

(4) Preparation: do not enter into a marriage relationship until you are spiritually, emotionally, psychologically and financially prepared and matured to get married. Learn useful homemaking skills. Be gainful employed. Embark on self-improvement training programs. Listen to good tapes and read helpful books. Become so valuable that your work will be points of reference for there in your organization, that is, cultivate a spirit of excellence in everything you do. Look for someone who has achieved extra-ordinary results min his/her business/career, or whose marriage you admire, and ask him or her to mentor you. Read the Bible to know the sovereign plan of God for your life (Isaiah 40 and 50; Jeremiah 29:11). Time is your greatest asset; do not waste it. Set your priorities. Get organized with the aid of diaries, organizers, time tables etc. plan your work and work your plan. As a get a comfortable accommodation and equip it with appropriate household appliances.

(5) Purity: every temptation to go into the sin of fornication must be resisted. Purity and chastity of conduct will make you to command your future husband’s or future wife’s respect and regard, so that like Boaz, he can say to you, “…Blessed be thou of the LORD, my daughter: for thou hast shewed more kindness in the latter end than at the beginning, inasmuch as thou followedst not young men, whether poor or rich. And now, my daughter, fear not; I will do to thee all that thou requirest: for all the city of my people doth know that thou art a virtuous woman.” (Ruth 3:10-11). Avoid undue familiarity visits and outings alone with the opposite sex (Hebrews 13:4). Do not misinterpret the attention of the opposite sex either be thou envious or jealous of your married or engaged friends. Keep your body clean. Eat well and stay healthy. Dress well and look good, but not for attraction.

Once you have received a definite answer from God, get in contact with your marriage committee to direct you in the steps to take.

WARNING: never give your consent to an unbeliever, whether in the church or outside the church. “be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers…” (2  Cor. 6:14-16; 1 Cor.15:33; Gen. 28:1; Deut. 7:14). If your Christian beliefs and convictions do not agree, your marriage relationship will never work out.

“…it is not good that the man should be alone…” says the Lord God, and He will surely make “…an help meet for (you)” (Gen. 2:18; Isaiah 34:16). Shalom!

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