My job is more important

Everyone has different priorities.

Different things we want and need, different ways to get what we want.

For some people this involves choosing a college degree that will move them towards a path of making a lot of money.

For others it involves graduating high school and trying to either start working right away or trying to find their own way of making money.

Numerous times in my going on 10 years of doing ministry (Most of it part time and volunteer) I have seen students put their faith on the back burner to work a job.

It's not a job to make a lot of money, just a part time job. Most of them, it's a job they hate.

Take it, we all have worked awful jobs at awful places and that's part of growing up.

With the fact high schoolers take on jobs, that takes the place of usually things like hanging out with friends, high school sports, extracurricular events and God.

I am not against high schoolers having jobs (I had to take a job to pay for school clothes and my different needs/wants in high school) but when people sacrifice the things that truly matter for those jobs, that's when I have a problem.

I don't know how many times I have heard, "I can't make it to Church because they always schedule me to work on Sundays."

Or I can't help out at this event or go on this spiritual trip because I can't get the time off of work.

Usually my response is the same, legally they can't fire you for your religious obligations.

At this point usually the student stumbles through their next lines.

You really see how important someone's faith is when they have a job or a car for the first time.

I have seen this happened to students that faith was very important to them and soon as they have a chance to earn a paycheck this completely changes.

Money can change a person, when we get our priorities mixed up, we miss the point.

Jesus had some pretty bold words about priorities but says them in a different way in Matthew 16:26…

"What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul?"

This is in a section in which Jesus predicts his death to his disciples.

They weren't happy with what he was saying and said this death shouldn't happen to Jesus.

This was part of his rebuke for why this has to happen.

Jesus knew what he had to do, what was right for his soul.

Do we truly know what's best for our soul?

Are our priorities in the right place?

In other words how are you with your priorities?

In each different step of life, whether it's high school, college, getting a full time job or having kids, we see how strong our faith is as a result.

It's easy to make sacrifices, but it's hard to make sacrifices for the right reasons.

Just like I have seen high schoolers give up their faith for a job, I have seen parents give up coming to church for a newborn. It might sound something like, "I had to wake up at 4 a.m. and be up for an hour. There's no way I can do this and make it to Church."

Where's your soul today? Is it set for Jesus or set for a job?

Have a great day.