Comments on: GUEST POST: Dealing with Busy Students

By: matthew

matthew — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 03:10:20 +0000

whoa! my apologies for the misunderstanding. i guess i assumed that keeping a holy sabbath was a given when we are following Jesus, or teaching about Him. i appreciate the additional comments, and don’t think we are as far apart as you might think on this subject, because Jesus is very clear on the matter. just trying to offer a fresh perspective on an old argument that would help us deal with students where they really live. thanks!

By: Stephen

Stephen — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 07:29:35 +0000

I am not sure I agree with this idea of just accepting the busy. Like Erik said, the busy keeps them from deep intimacy with God. No, playing ball or band or dancing is not a sin. But it can become sinful when those activities multiply and shove God out of the way. Isn’t anything that shoves God out of the way so we can focus on that more called an idol? So isn’t ‘embracing’ the busy teaching them that idolatry is acceptable? Erik was right on. When we are busy, we get the idea that we worship God when we have the time.
Yes, they should be in the world preaching Christ to the lost. Yes, sports and other activities are fabulous ways to do that. Yes, we should engage those students. No, we should not ignore them.
But… when those activities shove God out of the way, that’s idolatry. God will have no other God’s before him. He expects full and complete supremacy in our lives. I wonder how many of those ‘busy’ students spend regular quality time with their savior.

Point 2 would be that I doubt that the busy promotes quality family time. No, in the car on the way to practice does not count. No, everyone sitting down with their calendar to juggle the menagerie and maze of getting everyone where they need to be does not count. If we really believe that the home must be the primary place for faith development and that mom and dad must take point on discipling their children, then how does that play out in their schedule? Can mom and dad do an excellent job discipling their children when everyone is running ragged?

Instead of embracing the busy, why not teach them to first take their empty schedule before the throne of God in prayer and allow him to fill it how he sees fit. He may very well tell you to be at football practice at 6:45 am every morning. But I highly doubt that his will is that you are running ragged everyday and trying to get 5 minutes of ‘god time’ at the end as your eyes are drooping.

No. We must not accept the busy. Our goal is to become like Christ, not to become better soccer players in order to get a great scholarship. Let us teach our students to follow Christ’s example and receive everything they do directly from the Father: “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does.” John 5:19-20

By: Josh

Josh — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 14:41:40 +0000

I like the idea of adding #4 to it … good call! JG

By: Travis

Travis — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 14:13:37 +0000

Erik – I agree with your critique.

Matthew – you wrote under Point 1 “Too many times, we have been guilty of writing them off as flaky and uncommitted. Trust me, i’ve tried the cold shoulder approach with busy students, and it doesn’t make them jump on board. at all.”

Ignoring students will never teach them anything. I agree that discipling students on how to minister is important but part of the discipleship needs to involve teaching students to say “no” in certain cases and they need to learn how to develop some margin in life. Much of the businees is wasted time and energy.

I agree the goal isn’t to try to turn back the clock and watch beta movies but I do think student leaders prioritizing their schedules and creating space for God, rest & relationships is important.

By: Erik

Erik — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 13:19:53 +0000

Am I old-fashoned to think that we should invite our students into a rhythm of life that is not “busy?” How does one spend quality time with God when they have a million other things to do? Do we really want to communicate to our students that being super busy is ok and you can just worship God when you have the time? I agree we need to engage with busy people and seek to disciple them, but the question we should be asking is “did Jesus and his disciples model this kind of busy life and ministry?” Sure they were busy during seasons, but they needed to take breaks as well.

Maybe we should just add a #4

4. Teach our students when to rest. Being busy all the time is dangerous for the soul, we need to invite our students (and their families) to living their lives in such a way that they both are living to their fullest and protecting them from shallow expressions of their faith and burnout.