#iConviction

Earlier this month, I was invited to speak at a breakfast for clergy, hosted by the county chapter of Right to Life—a national pro-life organization dedicated, for 47 years and counting, to ensuring legal protection for all human life against abortion, infanticide, assisted suicide, and euthanasia. My task at this event was to spark enthusiasm for a youth rally called “Truth ’N Teens” (TNT), which was held last week at Wildwood Catholic High School.
The breakfast planning committee sent out over 80 invitations to church leaders, along with follow-up phone calls. They assembled a crew of volunteers, who spent their Saturday morning preparing a delicious breakfast for the attendees. However, there was one big problem: Only a handful of clergy took the time to attend. Many never even responded to the invitation.
This baffles me, particularly from the standpoint of the many negative health indicators that plague the youth in our county. I don’t want to bash our local houses of worship, but the bottom line is that the moral health of the community falls onto the shoulders of the people of faith – not the governmental powers that be. Jesus did not come to Earth and sacrifice His life trying to fix the government, instead He aimed His correction and rebukes to the religious leaders. Is there a lesson for us here today?
As a follower of Christ, I challenge other Christians to consider what an example the body of Christ (aka “the Church”) would be if we put aside our territorial claims and came together to support events that would strengthen our youth in their convictions, denominational divisions cast aside.
Some pastors say they are busy enough with their own student ministries and programs; to which I reply, “How is that working?” It is my observation that too many churches have resorted to entertaining our youth right into spiritual complacency and compromise.
There is no stability or integrity outside of the unadulterated Word of God. I learned that plain and simple truth as I found peace even in a chaotic place like prison. Without God’s Word as the cornerstone of our children’s lives, we are setting them up with a faulty foundation. Doomed to failure!
I know a lot about failure, but I also know a lot about success. And in order for success to happen, we need to possess a passionate conviction. What is conviction? It is not just a belief. A belief is something you will take sides for; but a conviction is something you will die for.
Jesus passionately poured into His followers’ lives, and He was willing to die to prove it. As the end of this Easter month draws near, instead of hopping around like bunnies and giving our youth candy eggs to entertain them, let’s remember the power of the resurrection and live it out. Let’s not be the ones whose house of worship would have been condemned by Jesus, who in disgust overturned the moneychangers’ tables in the temple in order to clear the area for true worship – worship that is not done for convenience, the status quo or personal gain. Prayerfully consider becoming a collective force that determines to passionately infect our youth with an #iConviction mission that cannot be contained.
Matthew Maher is an author and instigator, as well as a former professional athlete. His “Decisions Determine Destiny” assemblies are funded by State Farm and service youth in the tri-state area. He served four years and seven months in N.J. State prison and was released August 2014. You can learn more at www.themattmaherstory.com, where his blogs have been read by over 500,000 people in every state, 121 countries, and in 67 different languages. Follow him on Twitter @mattmaherstory and on Instagram @matthewmaher7.