Luke 12:34 says “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

Most of us have heard this before…perhaps some of us have even pondered the application of this to great lengths.  For students their ability to grasp this and understand that their desires often times translates into actions is a huge thing.  For instance, during the fall, families are busy with school, sports and several other things.  Most of us have seen and experienced just how busy life gets during this time of year.  It seems everything ramps up around September.

A fascinating event happens during this time of year as well.  It seems that during this time of year church attendance goes up as well.  Perhaps new families are check the church out or perhaps people seem to think that church is part of the transition between summer and fall. In any event parents often tell me how important it is for their child to grow in Christ and how deeply they want their child to desire the things of the Lord.  Obviously as a parent I could not agree more.  But something happens…something changes.  For you see as quickly as the mass of people enter into a ministry they soon make their exit…albeit short lived until the Holiday season.  Why is this?  How can we get too busy for Christ?

I am sure we can justify it in several ways…but let me paint a scenario as it relates to student ministry.  As parents we tend to want the ‘best’ for our kids.  We want the best education so that they can get into the best schools so that they can have the best jobs.  There is nothing wrong with this, but I think sometimes as a parent I forget to include God in the direction/planning of my child’s life.  There I said it…I get it mixed up sometimes.  I wonder if my desires for my child to ‘be’ a certain way or be in a certain ‘program’ override what God has called them to do.  How am I, as a parent, suppose to determine what the best thing for my child is?  There are so many questions concerning the future of our children…and it can confuse us.  I guess I’ve been on a ‘keep things simple kick’.  As a parent I am called to raise my children in a home that honors God.  I am supposed to exhibit an attitude of reliance upon God.  Why? Does that mean there can be times when I don’t ‘know’ something?  Yes.  In fact for me they seem to be happening more often.

God doesn’t want my attempt at the ‘best’.  He doesn’t want yours either.  He wants our time.  He wants our undivided attention.  Why?  Because He has chosen to use people like us to carry out His will.  Does He need us?…no.  Does the fact you or I serve Him make God better? … again no.  God just is.  He can be no more or no less.

So back the scripture at hand.  Where does our time go?  Does it go to chasing things that in view of eternity don’t matter?  Will pushing my child to be something God has not called them to be, accomplish His will?  How do we as parents know what to do?  Well I believe that time and time again I found the answer to begin with you guessed it ‘time’.  What do you mean?  Time…you know by spending time listening to the Spirit.  By spending time in prayer.  By spending time reflecting on what God has called you as a parent, or a student, and a follower of Christ to do.  Perhaps our greatest treasure is time with our Father…and our hearts should have a desire to commune with Him.  It’s a simple concept.  I can allow the world to own my calendar by chasing trivial things, or I can spend time with God knowing that everything I do has eternal significance.