Setting Priorities in 2010 - 10/03/10
By Ross Graham
Now that it’s Week 2 of uni in 2010 everybody is starting to adjust to what this semester is going to be like for them. We’ve examined our timetables a few hundred times looking at the ridiculous number of hours we’re going to be spending in lectures and tutorials, we’ve sussed out the ideal times to race off down to the beach for a quick swim before coming back for a class and we’ve counted the number of sleep-ins a week that we can have. For those returning to university, it’s a matter of settling into the regular pattern that is university life. For those 1st years it’s all about discovering what university is all about and settling into a new environment.
BUT, before everyone gets overly settled into their routine for uni this semester I think it’s important for everyone to re-evaluate what their top priority for this year is. Getting good results academically might be a high priority for you, or alternatively, having as much fun as possible ... You may even be aiming to succeed in your studies while also having a good time!
While these are useful pursuits − especially as university simultaneously guides us towards our future professions and allows us the luxury of having an enjoyable time − they are exactly the same priorities that many non-Christians at university in Wollongong hold. Should we as Christians attending university have differing priorities and aims?
In thinking about this question I think we can answer it as both a YES and a NO.
In answering NO, it is because having fun and enjoying yourself is not sinful (unless it’s your idol and then it’s a whole other issue to talk about). James 1:17 tells us good things are gifts from God which have been created so that we can enjoy God’s goodness towards us. The Bible also instructs us that “whatever you do, work heartily as for the Lord, not for men” (Colossians 3:23). Therefore we must approach our studies as if we are working for God and bring glory and honour to Him through our studies.
In answering YES, our priorities should be different from society’s, I do believe we are called to have a higher and more urgent priority. We are told that we are to “serve the LORD our God with all our heart and soul” (Deuteronomy 10:12) and that we are to “live as servants of God” (1 Peter 2:16). Jesus himself speaks of how to serve God, saying “go into the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation” (Mark 16:15).
Jesus is making it clear and simple what we as Christians need to do. We need to go into the world and tell others about the good news that is Jesus, His death and resurrection. In John 9:4 Jesus says “we must work the works of Him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work”. It is both an instruction and a warning. Christians need to listen to both aspects and act upon them. We are to serve the Living God who has the power to change lives, and we are to do this by presenting the Gospel of Jesus to others. Christians also need to heed the warning that there will not be an infinite amount of time for non-Christians to be saved. Jesus is coming again. Fact. We need to make use of the time we have before Christ returns.
In this we should have a Carpe Diem attitude, as we should look to “seize the day” and take every possible opportunity we are presented with to share the gospel. Every moment is a moment to share the gospel with someone. It is vital to remember that God works through us to bring others into His family. While we can present the good news of Jesus to others, it is ultimately God who will change their hearts.
Therefore I’d like to encourage you to be involved in the spreading of the gospel. There are formal avenues of evangelism such as Walk-Up Evangelism, which runs on campus and we’d love for you to be involved with. Greater than that though, I’d like to encourage you to have an evangelistic outlook to all of your relationships and conversations, especially those with non-Christians. We must remember that Jesus will return like a thief in the night − it will be unprompted and the time is a total unknown for us.
Ross Graham (Physical & Health Education, 2nd Year) once had a pet fish named ‘Puppy’. He’d told his friends he wanted a dog for his birthday so they got him a fish.
<< What Matters - 03/03/10 | Return to the Index | Go Go Gadget Reload - 17/03/10 >>