This is Part 6 in this series on Millennial leaders. The reader is encouraged to read the introductory blog before reading what follows below.

6.  David sees the cause and calls others to the cause – I Samuel 17.29

Goliath. Armies of Philistine threaten. Armies of Israel in camp. Israel’s leaders in camp. Israel’s king in camp. Israel hopes only for calm, to sustain the status quo, however uncomfortable it may be. David arrives. David finds the calm unacceptable in light of the cause. David runs to the battle.

Israel’s old men ask, “Is there not a calm? A ceasefire to be desired?”

A young man of Israel asks, “Is there not a cause, and a fire within that drives you to it?

The motivation of the old is calm: don’t rock the boat.

The motivation of the young is a cause: rock the boat and rock it hard to get where we need to go.

Every grey hair knows there comes a time in life when what is, when what exists, becomes normative. Whatever it is that is.

This is not to say that what exists is desired or comfortable, but it as at least known and constant. It minimizes risk (or at least seems to), it removes agitation, it represents calm, again, even if it is not desirable or even comfortable. It is at least calm.

“It’s not what we want, but at least we know what it is and we know what it will be tomorrow.” Security of a sort. Security at a cost. A cost of freedom, a cost of self, and yes, a cost of imagined security.

History is littered with examples.

And history is filled with the exploits of young men and women who shattered the calm because they saw the cause, they felt the cause, and their hearts raced within them at the greatness of the cause.

Where their elders could not or would not see the cause, these young men and women could see nothing else.

Two young Moravian missionaries sailed to the world’s mission fields, crying out, “May the Lamb who was slain, receive the reward of His suffering.” They asked, “Is there not a cause?” And they answered with more than words; they answered with action.

At 24 years of age, Lorne Cunningham launched Youth With A Mission (YWAM) after being told by denominational missions leaders that.his idea was not feasible. He asked, “Is there not a cause?” And he answered with more than words: he answered with action.            

At 26 years of age, William Carey asked fellow ministers about their responsibility to carry the Gospel to all the world. Older ministers put him in his place with the retort, “Young man, sit down; when God pleases to convert the heathen, he will do it without your aid and mine.” Carey left for India to do what they would not do. He asked, “Is there not a cause?” And he answered with more than words: he answered with action.           

At 26 years of age, William Wilberforce looked at the entrenched institution of slave trading in Great Britain and not only politely condemned it, as many of his elders did, but he called for its absolute abolition, reminding his nation, “You may choose to look the other way but you can never say again that you did not know.” He asked, “Is there not a cause?” And he answered with more than words: he answered with action.            

At 28 years years of age, legendary missionary David Livingstone left for Africa saying, “Sympathy is no substitute for action, and, “Anywhere, provided it be forward.” He asked, “Is there not a cause?” And he answered with more than words: he answered with action.

At 27 years of age, John Lennon and the Beatles sang, “You say you want a revolution, well. we all want to change the world.”

And there it is, the cause that youth so readily sees: changing the world. They “all want to change the world.”  Where their elders seek only the calm of the world as it is, even when it is not comfortable, young leaders see a world that can be, and they seek only the cause of a world as it can be, even when the process is not comfortable.

Just as history is littered with the stories of people who exalt calm and security over all else, history is also filled with the stories of young men and women who cried out, “Is there not a cause?” and ran to not only answer the cause, but to lead others in it.

There is a cause: a world that needs to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ; people groups that must be discipled; churches that must be planted; churches that need spiritual leadership; believers that need to become disciples; hurting people that must be helped; a God whose name must be exalted.

With this kind of cause in our world today, calm cohabitation is the last thing we should seek. With this kind of cause in our world today, we must seek to respond to that cause with everything we have within us and with everything that heaven offers us.

With this kind of cause in our world today, we must have leaders who see the cause, who feel the cause, whose hearts race at the cause. Young leaders.

It’s time to put David in the game.