KEEPING GOD IN THE CENTER

 by Jason Huffman, Meadowbrook Baptist Church, Rockdale , Texas

B-U-S-Y. Busy. That is what comes to mind when I think of the arrival of fall. Yes, it is still 98 degrees on a cool day here in central Texas. No, the leaves are not turning yet (except possibly from lack of water) but the truth of the matter is that autumn is knocking at our door. Yes, it is time again for football games, cheerleading, "Back-to-School" sales, buying school supplies and school clothes. In my opinion, save the Christmas rush, back-to-school time is the busiest time of the year.

I think teenagers especially have a hard time dealing with all that is going on. It is possible for a student to be at school at 7am for band, class from 8:00am until 3:30pm, football, volleyball, or cheerleading until 6:00pm, band practice on a weeknight, church on Sunday morning and night and Wednesday night, then games for their sports throughout the week. Also, many of these same students are holding down part-time jobs. Oh, yes, they also have to eat, and do homework in there somewhere.

Of course in the midst of this fracas, your youth minister, pastor, or Sunday School teachers are supposed to be giving these kids the spiritual grounding of a lifetime to get them through the most critical transition time of their lives. Surprisingly enough, with as many activities going on as there are, many students still find time to get into lots of trouble and make decisions that will hurt them for the rest of their lives. So, how do we keep them on track? How can you impress upon your teens that God is first when there is no time to even breathe? After all, these activities in and of themselves are not bad, right? Jesus had to deal with a similar situation, when he was at a house in Bethany and there was more to be done than time allowed.

Yes, the Savior of the world was a guest in the home of two sisters. Martha was frantically making all the preparations befitting the arrival of the King of Kings. Her sister, Mary, was quietly sitting at the feet of the Master soaking up his every word. Martha was upset with her sister for leaving her to do all the work, yet Jesus was more concerned with what Mary was learning than he was with how all three forks were properly situated on the placemats and what would be served for dinner.

While Martha's work was slightly different from the tasks and chores that distract us from becoming close to God, it was still a distraction. So, in a time when even eating regular meals sometimes has to take a back seat to activities at school and elsewhere, how can we expect the things of God to be a priority in the lives of our young people? Well, we must help them make it a priority. Here are some suggestions.

One is to help students eliminate some activities. Many parents (and kids) want them to have every opportunity in every venture. However, when life becomes too hectic, some things need to be weeded out-maybe only doing one sport, or not doing both sports and band. Find the areas in which your student is strongest and help them to concentrate on those areas. By eliminating less important activities they can actually become better at the ones that are more important to them.

Another suggestion is to not pressure your kids into certain activities. You cannot force them to be motivated to pursue anything that is not important to them. Maybe your son or daughter wants to be the next Mozart when you want him or her to be the next Roger Staubach or Mia Hamm. Finally, don¹t miss an opportunity to discuss the things of God with your kids. If you can have a family devotional time or prayer time every day, then do it. Christian teaching must come from the home and be supplemented by the church. Just try to simplify the lives of your teenagers any way you can and try to keep God in the middle of it all.