A Young Man's Commandment: Thou Shalt Not Be a Thug

The young man, it seemed, was straining to try to remember them all. He had just shared some of the Ten Commandments – “Thou shall not steal," "Thou shall not commit adultery," and "Thou shall not lie."

However, it appeared that the others just weren’t coming to mind. He then stated very energetically “Thou shall not be a thug!”

I was not trying to be rude, but that caught me off guard. I laughed at that one. I’m not sure how loud, but that, stated as a commandment, had me really chuckling.

“No, that’s not one of the Ten Commandments. It sounds like a good commandment, but it's not one of the ten.”

This young man did not earn a Ten Commandments T-shirt that day. However, I do believe that before the program was over, he was one of several youths that attended the community center activity that did earn one.

How did he and other youth earn a Ten Commandments T-shirt? By memorizing and reciting the Ten Commandments out loud before their peers.

Thus, my wife Birdie and I had one more day of adventure as we taught young people the meaning of the Ten Commandments. And as we shared video clips demonstrating instances where people violated or obeyed one or more of the Ten Commandments, children and youth watched and listened.

We both taught the youth the meaning of each commandment and gave them the opportunity to interact and discuss them. This was being done as a part of the ongoing Ten Commandments Project, a vital children and youth discipleship outreach.

In considering some of the tragic headlines in our nation’s news in recent days, the need for believers who minster and work with children and youth probably couldn’t be greater.

In growing numbers youth are participating in tragic shootings, causing large disturbances in major cities, murdering other youth, etc.

So many young people are getting involved in unfruitful and negative things that make national news – how sad this is.

What is the answer to these and similar problems?

Well, the answer is the same answer it has always been.

The answer is Jesus. The answer is the Word of God. The answer is “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations…”  (Matthew 28:19)

One of our first mission field tasks as the church should be making and helping our youth become disciples of Jesus Christ.

And here is one tool that we can use to do just that.

The Ten Commandments project has been operating for more than five years and has yielded much fruit in the lives of many children. During our sessions, we invite the youth to receive Christ as their Lord and Savior. And we teach the youth the importance of becoming a student of the Word of God.

We teach the importance of reading the Word of God every day. We suggest they start the habit of reading at least three chapters in their Bible every day.

Specifically, we encourage the youth to memorize the Ten Commandments and to live them daily.

Why is this critical? Why is this an important goal for a local church to pursue? Why should the church make this kind of youth discipleship project a priority?

There was a tragic incident in a large city when a young teen took something from a store and hurried out the door. A worker in the store stepped outside and shot the youth. The youth died.

Now the person who shot him did get arrested. However, the young man died. What an extreme tragedy – the young man died attempting to steal an item probably valued at less than three dollars.

Had a parent, a Sunday School teacher, or a pastor taught him the Ten Commandments, the seed of the Word of God probably would have saved this youth’s life.

The seed of the Ten Commandments invested in the young man may have led him to realize “This isn’t mine. I don’t need to steal it.”

The Word of God in the heart of a young person can save him or her. It will mold and shape his or her character. That same Word of God can give that youth grace and wisdom that can bless him or her for the rest of his or her life.

Here is was another recent tragic incident that took place that made national news. Three middle school-aged girls left their homes. While they were away from home, two of them attempted to murder the third young girl by stabbing her many times. By God’s grace, the young girl survived.

How in the world do young girls in middle school obtain the mind and thinking to want to murder someone that they indicated was their friend? How does this happen?

Too often, young people are filling their minds with toxic darkness that they learn from movies, the internet, and TV. Too many of them have connected to things such as withchcraft and the like. Too many are literally being “discipled in darkness.”

So the question is: What are we planting or allowing to be planted in the minds and hearts of our youth?

Are they filling their minds with the darkness that flows from the internet, TV, and movies?

Or are they having the powerful Word of God to be planted into their hearts and minds?

In the book of James, we are told:

Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls (James 1:21).

The Word of God can save us, mold us, shape us, guide us, and do so much more. There is nothing that our youth need more in their lives than the precious and powerful Word of God.

In Exodus, we are told:

And God spoke all these words, saying, "I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:1-3).

And Psalm 119:105 tells us “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”

Every child in the world is created and designed by God to work and function in life most fruitfully as a student of the Word of God. Each child is made to live a life and lifestyle of reading, meditating on, and engaging the Word of God.

Nothing will bless, guide, mold, and shape a child more fruitfully and positively than the Word of God.

As believers, we are called to disciple our youth. In other words, we are called to teach and train them to read and study the blessed Word of God and to live it.

The Ten Commandments Project is one way to boldly and aggressively pursue discipling our youth. If we haven’t started already, we would be wise to start today.

Jesus and the Word of God is what our children and youth need more than anything else in the world because He is the answer for all the challenges our children and youth are facing today.

For more information about the Ten Commandments Project:

https://www.afa.net/the-stand/family/2023/02/ten-commandments-speech-contest-2023/