Youth, Did You Know?

Youth, did you know Jesus came to serve before He ever lead?

Think about the Christmas story. The King of Kings didn't arrive in a palace. There was no royal welcome, no throne bed, no guards of honour carrying AK47s! He was born in a stable and laid in a feeding trough. As Paul wrote to the Philippians God Himself took "the very nature of a servant". (Phil 2:7)

Before Jesus preached a sermon, performed miracles, or had any follower, He lived quietly for years as a carpenter. During this time, He wasn't building-up His LinkedIn profile or networking at conferences - He was simply building tables with His hands.

And later at the height of His ministry, when He had every right to command anyone, He did something shocking. In John 13, Jesus knowing fully who He was and where He was going wraps a towel around His waist and washes the dirty feet of His followers. Let’s pause here for a moment and imagine what this means in today’s context. Jesus was aware He was the CEO of the universe – or in your context, the Principal of your school or college, and then washes your feet.  This act redefined power. It showed that true leadership begins by serving others, even when it is uncomfortable or goes unnoticed. For young people living in a culture that values recognition and achievement, Jesus’ example challenges us to rethink what success really means.

Jesus also did this act behind closed doors, and had it not been for His disciples writing in the gospels we would never have known about it. Let’s truly desire to serve and not do these acts just to promote ourselves on social media to become famous influencers. Jesus says: "Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant" (Mark 10:43).

We need to also understand servant leadership isn't weakness - it's the very character of God, and it reflects the heart of the One born in Bethlehem.

Youth, did you know Jesus gave dignity to labor?

Jesus also dignified ordinary work. For many years, He laboured quietly, working with His hands. We can be sure He must have measured wood, negotiated prices, patiently dealt with demanding customers, met tight deadlines, and handled customer complaints! Imagine, the Word who spoke the universe into existence spent His time cleaning up sawdust and wood scrapings in his work-shed. By doing so, He showed us that work done with honesty and excellence is meaningful in God’s sight. The apostle Paul later wrote that whatever we do should be done as if we were doing for the Lord. This means your studies, jobs, responsibilities at home, and daily routines are not separate from your faith—they are expressions of it.

Youth, did you know Jesus spoke of stewardship and money more than any other topic?

Jesus talked about money and responsibility of it more than almost any other topic. Not because wealth is evil, but because it can easily become a rival to God.  He said, “You cannot serve both God and money?" (Matt 6:24)

He told stories about investing talents, about shrewd business deals - He even commended the unjust steward, which probably confused the disciples, and about compensating workers. Why? Because Jesus not only cares about how we make money; but also, what we do with it.

Remember we are only stewards managing what belongs to someone else – to God! Let us handle money generously, reflecting  God's generous heart. 

Youth, did you know Jesus chose imperfect people as His partners?

Jesus could have accomplished His mission alone. He was God, after all! Instead, He invested three years with people who were ordinary, flawed, and misunderstood Him. But, He transformed them into world changers. Jesus patiently taught, corrected, and restored them when they failed.

He took fishermen and told them, "Follow me, and I will send you out to fish for people" (Mark 1:16-18). Now that was a career pivot! He did not see just who they were but saw who they could become.

This offers great hope to young people who struggle with fear, failure, or self-doubt. God does not wait for perfection; He works through our willingness.

Christmas also reminds us believers to look forward. Jesus will return, a wonderful day indeed!

Scripture also teaches us  that it will also be the day we give an account of how we live, how we treated others, how we used what God entrusted to us, and whether our lives reflected His love and justice! Are we ready to give an account if that day is today?

The baby born in Bethlehem grew up to change the world. His life continues to shape how we His followers live today. Christmas invites youth like each of you not only to celebrate His coming, but to allow His example to shape your character, your choices, and your future.

Wishing you all a blessed Christmas and a wonderful New Year!

We can look forward to the future with confidence because the carpenter from Nazareth is still building His Kingdom - and we have all been invited to join Him!

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Jaywant Michael has been teaching and mentoring Christians both in church and marketplace ministries. He is a faculty member in the College of Business at a university.

For the past twenty five years, he has used scraps of paper, journals, blogs, and more recently vlogs to capture ideas and reflections on life, work and his faith.

Jaywant's commitment and passion for the Lord is shared by his wife Shammi, who is involved in children's ministries.