I am 5’6”. It used to bother me. I have two older brothers that are both bigger than me and almost all my friends are taller than me. Then, one day, I realized that size is not equated with power. Think about it: size is not equated with power. A huge car cannot retrieve power without spark plugs. Oak trees are birthed from small acorns. A small diamond can cost thousands of dollars. Size and power are very often not related….
That’s why this verse from Song of Solomon 2:15 spoke profoundly to me this week: Catch the foxes for us, the little foxes that spoil the vineyards, for our vineyards are in blossom (ESV).
In our groups, what are the little foxes that keep us from being all that we can be? What are the little foxes that seize momentum for growth? Maybe it’s cliques within our groups. Maybe it’s our inability to empower other leaders.
What are the little foxes that keep teens from embracing Jesus in every area of their lives? Are we effectively leading them in those areas? Are we saying the difficult things that need to be said to lead them deeper into their relationships with Jesus? We cannot be afraid to talk about the tough issues and present truth in a way that is reflective of how serious God looks at these things.
Little things can have powerful effects. Are we ready to catch the “little foxes” that target our groups and equip the teens to become “fox hunters” in their own lives?
Wow, Adam this is great insight. As I read your post I was just re-convicted of the need for regular prayer covering for our youth groups. Prayer is an area that my teen leaders and I have been noticing is lacking from our approach to leading this group. We’ve decided to start praying regularly together for just this reason. So we can discern and pray against the little foxes. Great post!