Eternal Priorities/Flesh Over Spirit
Good Morning,
At one point, priorities included elbow pads and helmets as kids rode skateboards. Now, priorities are set on a proper diet, gluten-free this, sugar-free that, protein for breakfast, and carbs later in the day. Yet, many of the concerned parents who prioritize these things would order Sunday school low on the list. Bible reading is rarely done and sitting in church with little children is very rare.
The book of Daniel tells of a battle between heaven and earth. Daniel 10:13 introduces the “prince of the king of Persia.” While reading the story, it becomes obvious that this is not referring to the man sitting on the earthly throne. This is referring to him who is in the heavens and not a good power. Most Bible-believers see every community in every country overseen by angelic or demonic hosts.
While we are busy worrying about hypoallergenic pillows, and lactose-free milk, we are ignoring the real battle – the spiritual battle in the heavens. Daniel’s story tells us about wrestling against principalities and powers and the rulers of darkness.
Just a summary of my thinking, I would rather my child honor and glorify God with their life and die young than live long having ignored God and His Book. This life is short; it will be gone in an instant. It is foolish for us to build every hour of every day around earthly things while ignoring eternal things.
Placing our children in godless, government schools while failing to pray for them and placing them under the leadership of God-fearing teachers is simply crazy (unless you are not saved, and you do not understand eternal things).
I am not against trying to have a healthy diet, but I am against keeping our children so safe that they never learn to do difficult things, face hurt, or learn to control their emotions when things go wrong. That is life; that is the life that will honor God and bring eternal rewards.
I am not sure how much time Jesus spent playing ball, but I do know that He learned to work and that he was a carpenter. As his family traveled back from Jerusalem, as a twelve-year-old boy, Jesus was not found for three days. The young man, Jesus, definitely had liberty and was not brought up by a hovering mother who saw Him every moment of every day. He was a young man who knew the Scripture and could sit in the temple asking questions and answering questions regarding the Scriptures.
Ask yourself regularly, “Will this affect eternity?” or “Is this just something earthly that is important to me as a parent?”
Pastor