How To Get What You Want

by: Charla Candy
from Nashville, Tennessee
Guest Devotional Writer

“Delight thyself also in the Lord, and he shall give you the desires of your heart.” Psalm 37:4

When I was in junior high, I used to pray at night for God to bring me a boyfriend. When I would decide to like a certain boy and it looked like he might not like me back, I would pray really hard for God to make that boy like me!

I was boy crazy, or what some may call, a teenage girl. I remember thinking that if I had a boyfriend, my life would be perfect.

Well years went by and my prayers weren’t being answered. I would spend long hours in front of the mirror, making myself look my best. I would try to act fun at school and talk to all the right/popular people so my crush would notice me.

After all my efforts, I still wasn’t having any luck. “What’s wrong with me?” I would cry to God.

“Why don’t I have a boyfriend.” I wondered why I had prayed so hard and hadn’t got my boyfriend.

Finally in my later years of highschool things started to look up and I had a few boyfriends and then I began to pray to God for a “cool” boyfriend and a “hot” boyfriend.

Then later on I found that “cool” boyfriends weren’t always nice and “hot” boyfriends weren’t always smart. It seemed like the search would never end. Why couldn’t God give me the right boyfriend.

Then I began reading my Bible. Hoping maybe that would help me get the right boyfriend, I came across a verse that changed my whole outlook. Psalm 37:4 says, “Delight in the ways of the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.”

I realized that I was focusing all my efforts on the wrong thing. Instead of begging God for a boyfriend, I needed to delight myself in the ways of the Lord. I needed to focus more on God and helping others.

I began studying the ways of the Lord and as I am getting to know Him, my desires have changed from getting a boyfriend to living a life sharing love and kindness with friends, family, and even strangers.

This sinful world makes us believe that petty things are so important. Like the cars you drive, the people you date, where you live, who you know, and how much money you make. But even acquiring all these things will never-ever bring true happiness and will always leave you wanting more.

God promises to give you the desires of your heart, you just have to delight in his ways.

What Youth Ministry Taught Me

I spent the first 9 years of my pastoral ministry with young people. Four things youth ministry taught me.

1. The Seventh-day Adventist Church is a church of young people. We better take youth ministry seriously. As of now the church has no well-established program that meets the needs of young adults and young professionals.

2. Youth ministry is based on relationships. Programs don’t win their hearts. The last thing young people need is a lecture or a sermon. They need a friend. A listening ear. Someone who will pray with them individually. That requires a lot of time. But when young people love you, most likely they will love your Savior. A youth ministry founded on relationships not only becomes appealing and attractive to young people but fruitful as well.

3. Youth Ministry takes risks. Young people are not robots. You have to reason with them and try to explain the Biblical principles behind the rules. God was never a dictator, why would you be one. Explain te why and be consistent. So when they get off the track of traditional views or fall into sin, love them more. ...and show it please.

4. Youth ministry is out of this world. It’s creativity and responsibility. What worked for you back then may not work now. Be innovative. There are a thousand ways of doing old things new. And please give everyone a responsibility. Young people just love being a part of something.

Programs That Makes Sense

My district had the privilege to participate in a youth rally held at the Adventist International Institute of Advance Studies in Silang, Cavite. Part of the program was the open forum with Pastor Buraka Muganda, General Conference (GC) Youth Director. So during the open forum I grabbed the opportunity and asked, “Pastor, I always had a passion to reach out to young adults and young professionals but it seems that we are not reaching out to them. What is the church doing about it?”

With all honesty he admitted that the church is doing well in reaching out to ages 6 to 16 but has no well-established program for young adults and young professionals. The GC is now working hard to come up with programs to reach the 16-35 age group.

This is a challenge for all of us. We are losing most of our potential church leaders once they finish college and start working. So the next time a young account executive, or a newly promoted business manager attends your youth program, ask yourself, “What does our youth group have to offer them that will make sense in their lives?”