Friends,
The Lord has increasingly put middle school guys on my heart. Every Wednesday I get to lead twenty 8th grade knuckleheads in a bible study each week that we call the Dream Team. It is an honor and a blessing to get to serve them in this capacity.
One of the reasons why I am so passionate about these guys is because of the faithful men who stood in the gap for me during those trying years. Keith Shepelwich and Stacey Smith will always be heroes to me; not because of any special words they said, but because they showed up every week. Sometimes faithfulness and leadership just means showing up. And that's what they did.
I was telling a co-worker this week that I don't envy these 8th graders. They have so many battles to face that I didn't face to encounter as a middle schooler. It's made me re-think through the question, "If I could go back in time as a middle schooler, what are the things I would change in my life?"
Here are the top 10 things I would have told a young middle school Matt looking back:
1) It is never too early to pursue the Lord. Now is the time to hide God's Word in your heart, to soak it up and let it transform your heart.
2) Listen to your parents, teachers, and coaches. These men and women are incredible role models to look up to as examples of how to live well. Don't be afraid to ask hard questions.
3) You will come to a crossroads where you will need to decide who is lord over your life. Joshua 24:14-15 says, "Choose this day whom you will serve." The question is, who or what will you follow? Choosing to follow Christ will be the best decision you can ever make.
4) Video games, girls, and sports won't provide you ultimate satisfaction. Only Christ can fill the void that we desire. After a fourteen year addiction to video games, many failed relationships, and disappointments on the sports fields, I kept coming back to the Lord. I wasted so much time looking for hope in the wrong places. But God was waiting for me with open arms, welcoming me back each time. Putting your identity in Christ is worth it.
5) Don't miss small group. Am I biased? Of course.
The men in that group will become your lifelong friends, brothers, and fellow warriors for Christ. They will be with you in both the hard and joyful seasons of your life. They will stand by you in your wedding, spend time with your kids, and truly change your life forever.
6) Comb-overs are not cool. There is little to speak into here... I just missed this one 😂. Don't be like middle school Matt!
7) You are about to walk into the fight for your life, a daily battle fighting against lust of the heart. The only way to find freedom is to rely on the Lord and trust that he is better than temporary satisfaction. Lean on your small group and your brothers for accountability. It will be insanely hard, but you will never regret fighting your "flesh".
By the way, wait for your wife. She is worth waiting for and better than your wildest dreams.
8) You will never regret a single minute that you spend with the Lord.
Proverbs 37:25-29 says, "For I have been young, and now am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or his children begging for bread. He is ever lending generously, and his children become a blessing. Turn away from evil and do good; so shall you dwell forever. For the Lord loves justice; he will not forsake his saints. They are preserved forever, but the children of the wicked shall be cut off. The righteous shall inherit the land and dwell upon it forever"
The more I have spent time with the Lord, the more I have fallen in love with Him.
9) Surround yourself with godly friends. Proverbs 13:20 says, "Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm." It has been said that you are the average of your five closest friends. Your friends will either bring you life or bring you down. Choose wisely my friend and FLEE those who are not walking faithfully with the Lord. It's better to have no friends than friends who are foolish. And if you don't have any friends, fear not, the Lord is with you! (Isaiah 41:10). He is the best friend we could ever have.
10) Strong men speak up. I am still learning this one. 1st Corinthians 16:13 says, "Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love". What would it look like for you to stand up to friends who are not acting in the way that the Lord has called us to? It would be radical- even as a grown man it would be radical! Calling them out will not gain you any friends in the temporary, but it will bless you tenfold to do so.
I am praying that these 8th graders would be men who step up, speak out, stand firm, stay humble, and serve the King. Would you pray with me?
Let's go!
