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Study;
deadlines; pressure; stress; work to study;
study to work; find a job; pay off a loan;
settle down; get on in life… Students
face all sorts of pressures, but where’s
it all leading? What does it mean to live
life in all its fullness? This week, ALOVE
takes a look at the importance of passion
and perspective …
Are you on intimate terms with daytime TV?
Do you know what day it is by which programme
is on? Do you revere the humble bean and its
companions the tomato and sauce? Is a morning
routine a rude suggestion because it contains
the word, ‘morning’? Does writing
a piece of work involve copious amounts of
fair trade organic coffee, (or whatever is
in the jar because its not yours) and watching
the hour hand race past midnight and stop
just in time to catch the Clangers at 9.15am.
This in itself is a bonus as you are never
up in time to watch it anyway.
If this sounds familiar then the chances are
you are of a breed of human named, ‘Homo
Studious Horizontalus’ or in the plain
tongue: a student.
It seems though that issues of being a student
have in recent times reached an epoch. More
and more students are opting to work during
their gap year, saving for university and
gaining experience in a relevant field of
work. The average debt on leaving education
is around 15 thousand pounds and most who
find jobs will do so outside of their chosen
field of study.
Then there’s trying to revise and study
at home for school or college, family getting
in the way, an annoying brother or sister
and a dog that thinks that it would be fun
to use your mobile as a toothbrush.
But is that it? You work to study and study
to work, find a job, pay a mortgage (and the
student loan) make plans for your funeral
and feed the daisies?
Passion and perspective is the way to see
beyond the immediate issues whether you are
a student or not.
Jesus came to give life and give it to the
full (John 10:10), and we can often lose our
focus and drive for life when pressures squeeze
a little tighter than usual. There is the
danger of thinking that you are the only one
who has to go through the difficult times.
It is true that financial and academic loads
can take their toll and it is during these
periods that a greater perspective can be
invaluable.
The iconic St Paul who would have studied
long and hard as a young man, being well versed
in Pharisaic law (Philippians 3:5-6) was also
a skilled manual worker. After Jesus appeared
to him, Paul would sometime work as a tent
maker when finances were low (Acts 18:3).
This aspect of his life was an important part
of achieving what he had set out to do, to
serve God with all that he had. His perspective
was larger than his immediate circumstances,
and Paul’s circumstances were great
(2Corinthians 6:4-10).
Jesus himself waited until he was about thirty
years old before he announced his mission
(Luke 4:18-19) and began gathering and teaching
his disciples. It is likely that he would
have learnt his father’s trade and helped
with the family’s carpentry business.
Money would not have been in ready supply
and times would have been difficult with the
addition of brothers (Matthew 13:55). What
is clear is that Jesus vision of his mission
and what lay before him did not diminish and
when the appropriate time arrived he was ready.
His perspective remained unclouded (…who
for the joy set before him endured the cross.
Hebrews 12:2).
Remembering your passion, God delights to
give us the desires of our hearts (Psalm 37:4).
It can be problematic when our passion takes
a dive. Whether it is for the project we have
just started or for living full throttle for
Jesus. We need to find our passion and dive
in. Sort out the time we have and make good
use of it, don’t squander it. Make it
work for you. If you can do something, do
it, don’t wait until the eleventh hour.
And be in be in command of your own time.
Life is for living, to the full (John 10:10),
so finish your study and pay back your student
loan. But don’t be fooled into thinking
that that is it. The bigger picture is that
God has called us his children (1John 3:1-2)
and our mission is larger than the obstacles
before us.
Jesus
suffering is called the Passion. Read again
about his death and resurrection. Be motivated
by Jesus passion.
Matthew 27:11 - 28:10
Mark 15:1 - 16:8
Luke 22:63 - 24:12
John 19 - 20:9 |
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Deep end ...
Jesus – God
and Man by Wolfhart Pannenberg ISBN
0334028973
The Crucified God
by Jurgen Moltmann ISBN 0334028353 |
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Put things into Perspective
read,
The Heavenly Man
by Brother Yun ISBN 185424597
Long Walk to Freedom
by Nelson Mandela ISBN 0349106533
No Future Without
Forgiveness by Desmond Tutu ISBN 0712670130 |
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Youthwork -
The Partnership ...
ALOVE,
Youthwork Magazine, Youth For Christ, Spring Harvest and
Oasis are working together to equip and resource the Church
for effective youth work and ministry. |
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