Young people in Nigerian could still do better by deploying their youthful energy to serve God, people of God and the country. The book of Ecclesiastes calls upon the youth to include God in their affairs as against the notion that youthful age is for pleasure, middle age for business, and old age for God and religion. As a young man or woman shun online forums with obscene material that grab your attention; programmes with dirty language and activities that are evil to the public eye, that is capable of destroying one’s relationship with God. The fact that some of you are involved in one spiritual activity or the other is an indication that you recognise the role of God and faith in your life. Continue to remind yourselves from day to day that it is in your youth that God expects you to serve Him even more vigorously because that is when the temptation to ignore God, faith and the practice of religion can grow stronger. This is the time that peer pressure grows strong, the hormones are very active, pornography, drugs and alcohol are easily taken.
Our Blessed Mother Mary remembered her God and served Him from her youthful days. She is the inspiration that we need in our time; she is the inspiration that young people need, especially in the current times that we have found ourselves in the country. Mary visited her cousin at the time of need. This should encourage you through all the challenges of our country now and in your personal lives. Even though your faith may be under severe test now, never forget that God is with us and He has not abandoned us. Our country is in a bad shape; we are all witnesses to the rots sneaking in various parts of our nation. I do not need to make a litany of them, because they are self-evident. Insecurity has spiked in recent times. Not minding the hardship the Nigerian youth is passing through today, be part of the agents for change. Let’s also remember that heaven helps those who help themselves.
• Most Rev. (Dr.) Alfred Adewale Martins, Archbishop of the Metropolitan See of Lagos.
