The Voice of Truth: Youth Perceptions of God’s Truth

There’s a moving song by the Christian Contemporary group Casting Crowns called “Voice of Truth.” The lyrics read as follows:

Oh what I would do to have
The kind of faith it takes
To climb out of this boat I’m in
Onto the crashing waves
To step out of my comfort zone
Into the realm of the unknown where Jesus is
And He’s holding out His hand
But the waves are calling out my name
And they laugh at me
Reminding me of all the times
I’ve tried before and failed
The waves they keep on telling me
Time and time again. “Boy, you’ll never win!”
“You’ll never win!”
But the voice of truth tells me a different story
The voice of truth says, “Do not be afraid!”
The voice of truth says, “This is for My glory”
Out of all the voices calling out to me
I will choose to listen and believe the voice of truth.

The world offers many distractions, and the devil works hard to keep us busy, dejected, and distant from Jesus. However, as Seventh-day Adventist Christians, it is vital that we strive to keep God’s Truth central in our lives. His Word and promises keep us grounded through the hard times and focused when Satan throws distractions our way.

A 2014 study conducted by the Institute for Church Ministry asked Adventist young people if they felt God’s Truth was important to their lives. A resounding 97% of young people said that they “agreed” or “strongly agreed” with this statement. Only 2% said that they were unsure of how they felt, with 1% strongly disagreeing.However, faith in God’s Truth is not grown over night. And, while young people may acknowledge that this Truth is important, sometimes it’s hard for them to know how to apply what they know.

Focus on the Family offers some suggestions to help the young people in your congregation develop their understanding and faith in God’s Truth.

• Preparation. Encourage your young people to read the Bible, but be sure that they don’t enter into it with the wrong set of expectations. Just because they begin to develop a relationship with God does not mean that their lives will be perfect. Also, teach your young people to approach the Bible as a conversation with God; the more they put into it, the more Truth God can reveal to them.
• Perspective. Talk with your young people about the messages which they receive from the world each day. Ask them thought-provoking questions to help them compare the worldly messages with messages that they receive from the Bible. Teach them to be critical thinkers as they contrast these messages.
• Personal time with God. Encourage your youth to spend personal time with God each day. This can be difficult to “fit in” at first; challenge them to start out with a short time each day, gradually increasing it. Using this time to read the Word and pray will draw them closer to the Lord, teaching them about His character and sharpening their discerning skills.
• Quality time with God’s people. Learning about God doesn’t just happen when we are alone; it happens when we interact with others that follow Him. Your young people may not have anyone they can talk to about things of Heaven; make yourself available for questions and discussions. You can help create an environment that helps your young people grow in their faith!
• Quest for Truth. Teach your young people that seeking God’s Truth is a life-long process. The more time we spend with Him and the more we know of His character, the more He is able to reveal Himself to us. Feel free to share your own personal journey with them, as well. Sometimes the best testimony is your own!

It is vital to remember that our young people may not be receiving “Truth-training” in their homes. However, it is a central part of their Christian walk to discover the importance of Truth and learn how to apply it to their lives.