A generation from now those 20-year-olds will probably have spouses, children, and vans. While their lives revolve around the needs of their dependents, their hopes of getting back their youthful freedoms will be diminishing by the day. All they have will be invested in the wellbeing of those who will be most unaware of the sacrifices made on their behalf. Such is the way of responsibility—you are not your own!
Of course, in Christ we were never our own. Paul tells the Corinthian brethren: “For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body” (1 Corinthians 6:20).
As Christians we do not separate our concerns for our family from those of the church. We instead seek to invest the best of ourselves into the souls of all; what is good for one is good for all. However, though we do all we can, we can’t make another person spiritual. Our goal is to provide an environment where those seeking the Lord can grow if they want to.
This cannot be left to fate. Wisdom must be sought every step of the way for the provider and the dependant alike. We must surround each other with those who know what they are doing. Yes, many of life’s hardest lessons are learned the hard way, but the wise teach others to avoid unnecessary pain and waste.
“He who walks with the wise grows wise,
But a companion of fools suffers harm” (Proverbs 13:20).
In our quest to instil ‘wisdom from above’ into the thoughts and habits of those in our care we must not rely on our own resources.
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight”
(Proverbs 3:5-6).
Remember, you are not your own!
John Staiger
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