A Teen of Power

A Teen of Power - Tim Trieber

A few years ago, I took several of our teens down to Southern California to spend the day at Six Flags Amusement Park. Because of the lengthy trip before us, we started out early in the morning, about 5:00 A.M. The sun had not yet risen, and I turned on my headlights in order to see the highway. Not long after we had departed, the teens got comfortable and began sleeping, drooling, and snoring. I spent the next few hours in a van with nobody to talk to and nothing to see. Needless to say, it wasn’t the most exciting couple of hours of my life.
Several hours later, we finally pulled into the parking lot and were ready to conquer every ride the park offered. Amidst all the excitement and in our haste to get into the park, I forgot to turn off the headlights. We spent the next few hours riding the rides, eating junk food, wasting our money on impossible games that are rigged, and laughing together. As we loaded the van, we were exhausted and ready to get home for a good night’s rest. I put the key into the ignition and turned it, but to my amazement, nothing happened. After trying that several times, I came to the realization that our van had no power; and we were not going home any time soon. The vehicle that took us to where we needed to go was now unable to get us home!
What an example of the average Christian teen! God has given us the potential to be used of Him in a mighty way and to accomplish something for Him that is beyond our own comprehending, but we fail because we simply have no power. I believe that in the day and age in which we live, a teenager CAN have power from God. We see many examples in the Scriptures of teens like David, Daniel, Joseph, and Josiah who were greatly used because of the power that rested upon their lives. I ask you today,
“Do you have power from God upon your life?”
As we look at being a teen of power, allow me to draw your attention to three important items.

1. The purpose for power – David summed it up best when he said in I Samuel 17:46b, “That all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.” The desire of every teen should be to have God’s power on his life so that God gets glory through his life. The purpose of God’s power is not promotion or praise for yourself, but so that His name, which is above every name, can be exalted and promoted.
2. The pattern for power – If God wants us to have His power, how do we get it? First, we get power from the Scriptures. The Bible tells us, that “the word of God is quick and powerful.” If a teen gets power from reading, meditating on, and memorizing of the Word of God, how much power would he have? We fail to have power because we fail to read the Word of God. Secondly, we get power through sincere prayer. Let me ask you, do you pray for God’s power to be upon you? If you don’t, chances are you are trying to do the work of God without the power of God. If we are strangers to prayer, then we will be strangers to power.
3. The price for power – Nothing great has ever been accomplished without a price being paid. Our freedom was purchased with a price. Our salvation was purchased with a price. Men of God who have been greatly used have paid the price. A man God greatly used in the New Testament was the Apostle Paul. In II Corinthians 11, Paul tells us that being used of God came at a great price as he describes to us all that transpired in his life. Paul was beaten, scourged, mocked, robbed, starved, shipwrecked, and stoned; but he still gloried in his infirmities so that the POWER of Christ would rest upon him. Yes, there is a price for this power; but the prosperity that comes as a result is well worth it.

Stop and think with me of all the lives that potentially could be changed if a teenager simply had God’s power on his life. If you are a saved child of God, the potential is there. The Holy Spirit lives inside you to lead, guide, comfort, and empower. Follow the pattern so that you, too, can be a teen of power.