Last summer, one of our middle school mission trips ended a day early due to some severe weather forecasts.
The students were disappointed that their trip was cut short, and not just because they had less time with friends—they were sad to miss out on the opportunity to share the gospel. The original plan for their final day was to do a prayer walk in the city, offer to pray for people, and have spiritual conversations. So, on the van ride home, the students hatched a plan: people in Austin need prayer, too, didn’t they? Why not pray and share the good news right here at home?
They coordinated a time and location to meet and begged their parents to let them go to The Domain to share the gospel.
When I heard the plan, I wrestled with God over my reaction. Why was I surprised that students would want to gather and share the gospel? It turns out that when students are shepherded, led by example, and challenged to trust and obey God, they rise to the occasion.
It reminds me of Joash’s story in the Bible. This young prince was hidden away from his wicked grandmother, Athaliah, who sought to kill every heir to the throne so she could remain in charge. But the priest Jehoiada and his wife Jehosheba protected him, led an uprising to overthrow Queen Athaliah, and established Joash as king when Joash was only seven years old.
Once Josah became king, the Scriptures say that “throughout the time of the priest Jehoiada, Joash did what was right in the LORD’s sight” (2 Chronicles 24:2). This young leader pleased the Lord with his leadership in his teens, twenties, and thirties, due to the faithful leadership and influence of his mentor, the priest.
When young men and women are shepherded by godly mentors, great things can happen. The students in our church, the young men and women you may teach in school or coach in sports, and the children in your home are capable of being used by God just as much as any adult. We must not neglect the opportunities God is giving us to train the next generation to serve the Lord in ministry—not just in the future, but in the here and now. They are the future of our church, but they are also the present.
A closer look at 2 Chronicles 24:2 reveals that Joash’s story is not all positive. Joash did well, but only “throughout the time of the priest Jehoiada.” In fact, Joash’s faithfulness took a complete 180 after Jehoiada’s death. The temple he once restored, he later abandoned; the idols he once rejected, he later served; the God he once devoted his life to, he later forsook; and the mentor he once adored, he later dishonored by killing his son.
This raises an important question: Where did Jehoiada go wrong?
Joash’s sin and disobedience weren’t Jehoiada’s fault or an indictment of Jehoiada’s leadership and guidance. Joash’s actions after his mentor’s death show that Jehoiada’s positive influence never became Joash’s own conviction, leading him to quickly drift to the wickedness of the kings before him.
The hard truth is that our mentorship doesn’t determine our mentees’ outcomes. Many parents fixate on saying and doing the right things to ensure their kids will follow Jesus throughout their lives, but we simply don’t have that much control. The ultimate fate of the children in our church, homes, and lives is not up to us. It’s up to the God who made them and knew them before the beginning of time (Psalm 139:13–16).
Does this mean we should stop investing time and effort into discipling young men and women because it won’t make a difference? Since Joash ended poorly, was Jehoiada’s time wasted? Of course not.
God accomplished much good during the years Joash was mentored by Jehoiada. But even more so, Jehoaida was obedient to the Lord through faithfully shepherding Joash. We must follow Jehoaida’s example with the young people in our lives, but do so from a heart of faithfulness to Jesus, not from a heart of desperation to put them on the right track.
Where does all of this leave us? Dependent on God. Our first step as faithful shepherds to our children and mentees must be to intercede on their behalf. We must turn to the only One who has all power to save, pray for their protection and endurance, and release the burden that their future salvation is not dependent upon their current season, but on God Himself.
Want to dive deeper? Check out our sermon series guide on Kings of Judah, or watch the most recent sermon from our Kings of Judah sermon series.
