Reaching Marginalized Youth for Christ :: By Mark A. Becker
On July 13, 2024, Former President Donald Trump had an assassination attempt on his life. Thankfully, Mr. Trump was divinely protected from the assault; however, three others were hit, and at least one lost their life.
While we will not mention the name of the perpetrator, we will acknowledge some relevant information on this 20-year-old when it comes to his social standing in life, as what we learned of him seems to be characteristic of so many who tragically end up taking these wicked paths.
Tragically, those who at least knew who this young man was said that he was a loner, an outcast, kept to himself, and was habitually harassed and bullied throughout his short life. Again, these descriptions are so symptomatic of many who ultimately resort to murder and self-harm.
This short article is designed to inspire the professing body of Christ to make a difference in the countless lives of lonely outcasts within our society. Our primary aim focuses on our youth but could be applied to virtually anyone of any age we come into contact with in our day-to-day lives. This is not difficult, as most of these people are very visible in our communities if we are looking for them.
As with all outreach efforts, our first and foremost objective in all of this is to point these hurting souls to Jesus Christ for salvation through His sacrificial atonement on the cross and eternal life with their Creator, with agape love being our primary motivation.
Parents: Inspire Your Children to Empathize for Others
Parents and grandparents have immense influence in the lives of their children and grandchildren. We are their guides. We are their role models. Our offspring are often a reflection of us – what they see in us is what will usually be seen in them in their own lives.
If we have empathy for others, they will too. If we show, in our day-to-day lives, how much we love others – family, friends, acquaintances, and even strangers – then they will have a much better chance of being like-minded in those things that should absolutely matter in life.
As difficult as it may be, we should endeavor to expose to our children and grandchildren the endless catastrophic results of so many marginalized youths through the senseless tragedies that have occurred in society often because they were never loved unconditionally and never felt as if they truly belonged to the human family. Unfortunately, these examples are numerous, but they need to be shared so that our children and grandchildren can have a greater perspective of this dire situation and the immense needs of so many hurting souls.
We should ultimately inspire our children and grandchildren to seek out and then reach out to those who are in need of unconditional love and acceptance – something that every human being desires.
Finally, we must be diligent in teaching our children and grandchildren to look for telltale signs that might indicate that those they are reaching out to may be showing detrimental behaviors to themselves and/or others and to report these signs to responsible adults or the proper authorities if need be. Always keep the lines of communication open.
Children: Reach Out to the Outcasts in Your Realm of Influence
I am asking our Christian youth to earnestly look around their schools, their parks, their neighborhoods, and in the streets, towns, and cities where they live and seek out those who are obviously outcasts, lonely, downcast, and friendless. And then, out of love and a pure heart, approach them and introduce yourself, seeking to develop a friendship.
Find out what makes them tick. What their interests are and what their personal desires and dreams are for their lives. Seek to know their familial situation. Are they loved by their parents and siblings? Do they get encouragement at home? Do they have a safe environment in which to live and grow as an individual? Do they have friends and a good support group?
Through it all, point them to Jesus Christ and share with them His glorious gospel. Explain to them that no one will ever love them as much as the real Jesus of the Bible does. That He proved His love for them on the cross when He shed His perfect blood for their sins, paid their just punishment, died, was buried, and rose again, proving that He was who He claimed to be – the one and only Creator and Savior, the Son of God who saves.
If they have been deceived into believing the lie of Darwinian evolution, point them to solid Biblical Creation science ministries such as The Institute for Creation Research | The Institute for Creation Research (icr.org), Answers in Genesis, and Home – creation.com. Remind them of the truth that they are created in the image of God, and God has done all He can to bring them to a saving faith and eternal life with Him if they will but just believe.
Just be there for them as a good friend and someone they can talk to. Encourage them, love them, and lead them to Jesus Christ. Unceasingly pray for them, and pray with them.
Lastly, please ask your parents or grandparents what signs you should look for in those you are befriending who may be exhibiting detrimental behaviors that can be harmful to themselves or others, and then take the appropriate actions with the guidance of your parents, grandparents, or proper authorities. Always keep the lines of communication open.
Social Media Users: Seek Out the Lonely and the Bullied Online
Personally, I am opposed to Christians being on social media for a variety of reasons.
Yet, if a Christian is on social media – youth and adults – then they have the opportunity to reach out to the lonely, bullied, and marginalized online.
The people you should really be focused on are people you already know or have come into contact with within your sphere of influence in your own community.
The marginalized should not be hard to miss. They will generally have very few “friends” and even fewer responses to their posts. Take notice of how people are treating them and how they respond.
Please, dear Saint, “friend” them and attempt to get involved with them using the same suggestions we recommend in our section, Children: Reach Out to the Outcasts in Your Realm of Influence, above.
Be extremely careful, however, of those you do not know personally online, as you never know who you may actually be conversing with. As Jesus said, “… Be ye therefore as wise as serpents, and as harmless as doves.”
Tech Savvy Adults and Teens: Create Websites to Connect Marginalized Youth to Others
What a great ministry endeavor for tech-savvy adults and teens to embark upon.
The general idea behind this thought is to create websites that connect Christian youth and adults to those who are obviously in the marginalized, lonely, outcast, and bullied categories.
These people can initially be sought out using social media and then encouraged to visit the websites to be paired with loving Christians within their own communities for personal one-on-one contact that will hopefully develop into lifelong friendships of love and encouragement.
Of course, there would have to be precautions taken to weed out impostors or others who would seek to do harm. Therefore, I highly encourage those who would take on a project of this magnitude to brainstorm on what they might do to eliminate any possibilities of negative consequences that could arise.
Be Creative – But Get the Job Done!
I am sure there are many other creative ideas when it comes to reaching out to our marginalized youth and adults.
Christians, when using their God-given intellect and being led by the indwelling Holy Spirit, are the most creative people on the planet – or at least they should be!
We have innumerable hurting and lost young people out there, and we can do something about it. We should do something about it. We must do something about it. All in the Name of our beloved Creator and Savior, Messiah Yeshua.
Conclusion
Time is always urgent when it comes to preaching the gospel and reaching out to the lost, as no one is promised another day, let alone another moment. Lost and hurting people are everywhere, and without Jesus Christ, they are hopeless and destitute – especially for those amongst us who are outcasts, bullied, and desperately lonely.
Please settle it in your own heart today to take these suggestions extremely seriously and make a difference one soul at a time as you seek out our downcast and downtrodden among us in our communities, leading them to the Savior of the world and sharing your love with them, reassuring them that they are indeed worthy in the eyes of God, and in the eyes of you.
Please, dear Saint, pass this short article on to others so that they too may be inspired to get in the soul-winning game as they seek out the less fortunate and marginalized in our society who so desperately need unconditional love from other people and knowledge that the One true God, in the face of Jesus Christ, loves them more than they could ever know.
Together we can make a difference, not only in the earthly lives of these precious people, but, prayerfully, for their eternal souls — that they may ultimately be with their loving Creator and Savior forever and ever.
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May we all keep Answering the Call of The Great Commission, and giving an answer to every man and woman who so desperately needs Jesus and asks us, “Why Am I Here and What Is It All About?”
Love, grace, mercy, and shalom in Messiah Yeshua, and Maranatha!
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