The War We Fight

Jan

27

2010

Hey guys, my name is Joe Robba and I am one of the producers for Steelroots. I’ve had a couple of people say I should share some of my story on the blog, so I figured that I would. I grew up as part of a youth group that was such a huge influence in my life. The memories that I have from youth group are ones that will stick by me for forever…I made so many friendships and bonds that I thought would last me the rest of my life. My friends from youth group were almost like family. We went on mission trips together where we ministered to homeless and less fortunate in upstate New York and to Orphans in Mexico. These were friends outside of church, where we went to the movies, went out to get coffee, heck we even just stood in the parking lot at Walmart if it meant hanging out together. The things we talked about were deep rooted issues, and we helped strengthen each other in our faith on a daily basis.

Why am I telling you all of this? Well, I hate to say it but the story doesn’t exactly have a happy ending. I was deeply rooted in my faith, and I knew that there was no obstacle that was going to rock me so hard that I would walk away from God, and I honestly believed that same thing of the people I had this incredible circle with all through middle school and high school. But as soon as it came time for all of us to go to college, I watched almost every single one of my friends walk away from the Lord. I spent the entire first 2 years of college, without friends. I wasn’t willing to compromise my lifestyle to have people to hang out with, and the circle that I was so close with in High School had all but dissolved. I even went to school with 2 of my friends from youth group, who to this day have completely walked away from the Lord. My life was pretty terrible at that time, and while I never walked away from the Lord, I just felt so spiritually dry, never really hearing the voice of the Lord. I had certainly lost that fire the Lord had put in me as a teenager, as I sat in my college dorm room on Friday nights playing playstation 2, and recording music about the struggles I was now dealing with in life.

I’m not telling you guys any of this to be judgmental against any of those people. I still love them all dearly, the same way I always have. But why I am telling you this, is that you are at a critical point in your life. You have to draw a line in the sand and say, I am either going to live for the Lord, or I am not. If you are anywhere in the in between area, odds are you will be swayed by human sinful nature. The entire reason why I work for Steelroots is because of my calling to youth ministry. I know the traps that the enemy has left for the youth of today, because I was one not too long ago. Youth are so important to the future of our world, and the decisions you make as a young person will have monumental influence on the rest of your lives.

So my advice to you, youth of America, is cling to the Lord, and be careful not to place your hope in people, but in the Lord. Always challenge your friends, on the tough stuff. Don’t ever assume that their walk with the Lord is good, as it is just like eating, where we need to be fed on a regular basis. Our walk is something we have to constantly work at, and sometimes we need a nudge back onto the path. Be transparent with each other, and say “what are you struggling with?”, “How can I help you?” College is almost like a hurricane, and if our roots are not deep enough in the Lord that we will be uprooted, and given to the ways of the world. Youth pastors, I can’t stress this enough, please always pour into your students. Call them, email them, facebook them while they are at College. You have a responsibility to them. If ever we think “OK, we sent them to college as strong believers, the battle is over”, you couldn’t be more wrong. All you’ve done is give them a sword to fight with, and the war is just starting. This is war. Make no mistake about it, it is imperative that we follow up with our students and encourage them however we can.

And lastly, do not let Satan convince you it is your fault if you see one of those strong believers walk away from the Lord. It is not your fault. I spent so much of my life beating myself up over it, and in the end I had to realize, it is not my job to save the world. All I can do for some of those friends is pray for them, and hope that God puts people like myself in their path at some point in their lives to help them see they’ve left their first love. God is so big, and he can save the world, we just have to pray for it. Stay strong guys, always chase after the Lord, and may your roots be like steel, rooted in the truth of Jesus Christ.

-Joe

Joseph is an Associate Producer, Camera Operator and Editor for Steelroots TV. He enjoy's snowboarding, surfing, and making fun of Cody's haircut.

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