OYPO – One Youth Pastor’s Opinion – Vol. 44

What Would Turn Your World Upside Down?

I’m sitting in my comfy chair.

I’m thinking of my healthy kids.

I’m scrolling Facebook and I see a bald girl who is going through chemo right now.

Dalia Johnson was diagnosed in 2018 with an aggressive adrenal cancer. She tags her posts #oneinamillion, referring to her odds of living, yet maintains a perfect smile and an encouraging message.

I got frustrated with the church internet today. Silly, huh?

Our lives are filled with trivialities, and only a few times do you ever experience a “life-changing” moment. A cancer diagnosis, a car accident, or a job loss would send our priorities through the sorting machine.

Trivial things fade into nothingburgers. We laugh at what we used to argue about when we place it side by side with a $100,000 medical debt. Or the death of a child.

Sure, life is made up of trivial things.

But the unimportant doesn’t have to dominate your day-to-day.

I suppose that was what Solomon was trying to instill in his son: “My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God.” (Proverbs 2: 1, 5). The most important things are not, in fact, the trivial, but the wise.

Trace any emotion in Proverbs and it usually ends in sin. Anger? That can cause some stupid decisions, and we get angry about some pretty trivial stuff. Discouragement? One cannot find much biblical support for getting your feelings hurt. Fear, sadness, and envy are not the traits of a person who fears the Lord, yet confidence, joy, and peace are.

It is no accident that Solomon constantly directed his son’s eyes upward. Looking to God keeps our eyes off the trivial.

“Great peace have they which love thy law, and nothing shall offend them.” (Psalm 119:135) If you take your parenting seriously (like I know you do), then the order of importance for you is this:

God. Your own walk with God is the crucial element to build a godly family.

Spouse. To be a godly father, you must first be a godly husband. To be a godly wife, you must first be a godly wife. No exceptions. Love and respect each other in biblical proportions.

Children. Your kids are the next most important thing in your life. Their spiritual growth is your main parenting objective. Not their morality, not their patriotism, not their athleticism, not their political views, and not even how much they know about God–but, truly, their personal walk with God is your daily full-time job.

Your life. Your life is everything else. Including your career. And your hobbies. And… well, everything. “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” (Mark 8:36)

I mean it. If helping your family means selling your house, quitting your job, changing your expectations, or whatever, maybe that is what God is calling you to. Do not close yourself to it. It might not be as drastic as all that (maybe it’s just quitting Netflix for a while), but I’m going for the shock factor.

What would it take to turn your world upside down?

And once that happens, how far are you willing to go to be right with God–to put aside the trivial and follow hard after the most important things in life.