Through this small column, I would like to draw the attention of the youths. Since youths are the armors of the countries as well as the salt of the world. Youths are the salt of the earth, because salt purifies. Salt preserves, salt prevent decay. If you put salt on meat, it can be kept for some months without refrigeration and it will not be spoiled. The world is like a meat. It is decaying, there is full of evil in the world. People could disobey God. They become spiritually decayed like a bad meat, again and again.
When we look into the olden times, Jewish nation disobeyed God, and God sent some prophets to the Jews for repentance, the prophets were like salt (youth). The people heeded, their words were purified and cleansed. We the youths today are called to be salt, like the prophets of the olden times. Youth has another quality: It is very salty. A tiny amount of salt has a big effect. A little pinch of salt can make a large amount of water salty. Salt makes a difference, salt is effective. We the youths must be like salt; when you are a youth, we must make a difference in the world. When you are a youth, we must change the “taste” of the world. Just as salt changes the taste of water, we can be what the ‘taste’ of youths should be. We must ask ourselves, do we taste like salt? Do we taste different from the world around us? If we lose our taste, we are worthless. We are the false youths. So it is savorless youth, that is, youths who do not have the Holy Spirit. If a youth does not have the Holy Spirit there is no way a person can surly become ‘tasty’.
Many people talk about progress. All countries want progress. But what kind of progress is needed? Youths progress more than roads and factories and so on, and conveniences, people need God. They need peace, love, forgiveness and salvation. In other words they are also of the like of the world. It is the Holy Spirit in us that gives light; the light is Christ’s light, not our own. We are the light because Christ was light (John 8:12). The world is in darkness, the darkness of sin, we were once darkness, but now are light. We are light (youth) to show men and women the way to God, the way to salvation. We shine forth our light by our witness, by our example, both in words and in deeds, our behavior must be different from the behavior of the other people, just as light is different from darkness. And others must be able to see our light. “Our heart must be like a city on the hill top”. They can only escape from darkness by following through our light.
Therefore, let us not hide our hearts, just as salt less salt is useless, so is light useless that is hidden under a bowl. The youth whose light does not shine is a useless youth. He/she like a fruit bears no fruit, no taste, and no light. Such a person cannot be a true youth. Let us constantly ask ourselves; is my light shining? Is there oil in my lamp- the oil of the Holy Spirit, our light cannot shine if the oil gets used up. We need to keep adding oil to our lamp every hour, every day; we need to remain filled with the Holy Spirit.
How can others know if we have the Holy Spirit? They can only recognize our good deed. Our light is manifested by good deeds. But our light must glorify God not ourselves, not gain praise for ourselves, but to gain praise for God. Remember, the light is not our own. The light is Gods. In every circumstances and everything we must give Him all the glory.
Therefore, here I am a mere student, would like to challenge the youths, let each of us take ourselves seriously. You are the paramount of this world. When we see great trees and great mountains, we think “These things are certain, they will last”, when we also look at the sun and moon and stars, we think “these things will last forever.” But they will one day pass away. The only things that will last forever are Jesus Christ himself is the word of God who in the beginning was with God, and was God, whose kingdom will never pass away.
M Kheming Khiamniungan, Agape College.
