08/21/22 GOING DEEPER

08/21/22 GOING DEEPER

PLEASE READ THIS

If you are a Christian young person and your goal is playing or singing, you are short sighted.
If you are a Christian young person and your goal is playing sports, you are short sighted.
If you are a Christian young person and your goal is building a strong business, you are short sighted.
If you are a Christian young person and your goal is medical work, you are short sighted.
If you are a Christian young person and your goal is public safety, you are short sighted.
If you are a Christian young person and your goal is public service, you are short sighted.
If you are a Christian young person and your goal is education, you are short sighted.
If you are a Christian young person and your goal is family life, you are short sighted.
If you are a Christian young person and your goal is church ministry, you are short sighted.

The above aspirations are good, but they are not good enough. Even being a... (fill in the blank; musician, doctor, educator, spouse, parent, athlete, minister, lawyer etc.)... who is a Christian is being short sighted.

We should seek to be Christian FIRST and everything else in our lives should be the add-ons, determined by the ruling value of loving and trusting Jesus. Being a Christian who is a... (fill in the blank; musician, doctor, educator, spouse, parent, athlete, minister, lawyer etc.)... is the way you should think. Being Christian should be our defining realty and everything else is subject to our love, faith, witness, relationship with Christ.

So, when should a young person start thinking about their commitment to Christ, the depth of their commitment to Christ, the extent of their commitment to Christ? Yesterday. If the Holy Spirit has not shown up at your bedside, as He did with Samuel, then you need to do what God says: Seek ye the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near; Now is the accepted time, today is the day of salvation. Seek Him as gold, silver, precious stones, rare treasure. Redeem the time because the days are evil and time is fleeting.

BY THE WAY, if you are a parent, then you need to read this to your children. Take time and make this a serious admonition with them. Tell them how you should have been more serious, more consistent, more focused in your youth. Tell them that you will be there to encourage them.

If your children are grown, but not totally dedicated to Christ then you need to have this talk with them. It is late, but not too late to do what can be done. I understand if they refuse to listen or talk. But it is an opportunity that you don't want to miss, if you can help it.