Priorities for the God Starved

This last weekend I have the privilege of attending the True Woman's conference in my home state, little did I know that such an impactful weekend would compel me to start a blog. Who even does that anymore? Are not blogs reserved for, you know, middle aged woman who like to broadcast pictures of their "adorable little babies" and by babies I mean scrawny little dogs that look more like naked rats? So why would God be calling me to the deposition of a spinster? You see. Teenagers, in my case teenage girls, we have this problem. We like to make ourselves busy. In my town, I am known as the girls who does...everything: Soccer, swimming & diving, Tack & pole-vaulting, the Fall plays, the Spring Musicals, I am a member of the Show Choir, President of Key Club, member of FCA, PEERS, Speech Team, NHS, part of my school's Newspaper staff, and formally a member of P.R.I.D.E. (We will get to why I am no longer a member in a minute). This is not even including the hours of A.P. homework I must take the time to complete every night. I have always seen the lack of being involved in something at all times as laziness and God frowns on laziness, right? Well you see, we teenagers, we make ourselves so busy that God, the one person we should be making a priority, is neglected and thrown haphazardly on the back-burner of our already too-full schedule. Read my bible? Forget it. I have two hours worth of AP US History reading to do. You want me to spend precious time I could be spending on that essay I have to write for Honors English that is due tomorrow praying? What is that going to do for me? Yeah sure. God is important. But studying. Now that is actually important. Studying is going to benefit me in the future. I will focus on God when I have more time. You want to talk to me about priorities? I have to maintain this 4.0 (I wish) and get into a good college, so I can get a good job, and make a lot of money, and live my whole life way too busy for God. You see, we think "once I get my life figured out and life slows down a little then I will become serious about my faith. Once I get my dream job, then I will become a solid christian." Sitting in those squeaky plastic chairs in a room full of five hundred girls I was hit in the gut. Being busy was my life. I loved it. I loved the pressure. The schedule. Feeling important. Needed. Recognized. and accomplished, knowing that I has so much on my plate and I still managed to come out on top of the stress. I thought I was making myself a stronger person. In reality, I was just making myself a self-sufficient fool who thought she did not need God. Let me make something very clear. Everyone needs God. And the only thing that distinguishes one needy sinner from the next is their willingness to admit their need for God. Anyway. Back to my monotonous story. You are still with me, right? I never made a conscious effort that I was going to compromise God for all of my activities, but that is what ended up happening. Slowly I started seeing getting the things I was involved with as more important, more pressing, more beneficial, than growing in my relationship with God. This summer I rededicated my life to Christ, but coming back to the rush of school I found myself back into the pressing routine. I knew I needed this year to be different than my last two years in high school because of the drastic change God had made in my heart, but I did not know how without giving up everything. (Here is the funny part ladies and gents. God asks that we give up everything and follow him. Just food for thought.) Ironically, it was my parents who saw my need to slim down my schedule before I did. Naturally, anything they said I needed to do I immediately vowed i would prove them wrong. However. We foolish teens do not realize no matter what we vow, that they are in control of our lives. and much against my will i was forced to eliminate the least important thing off my list. But it is all important. And when I refused to make a decision. They made it for me. I was no longer to be a member of P.R.I.D.E. It seems silly that such a small act would cause such grief in me, but it did. "You still have so much to do" you must be thinking. But I also have another issue. I do not quit. ever. I never have. And I saw not continuing something to the next season as quitting. "You really are crazy" yeah. I know. Get like me....Actually don't. That is kind of the whole point of this blog. The speaker at the woman's conference said we should be doing big things for the kingdom of God Right Now. Not in ten years. Not once we graduate. But now. you see, i struggled with this. I want to become a writer. A public speaker. I want to minister to people. to reach the world for god through my words. But I have to go to college first! I have to get a degree! She said I didn't. She asked us to close our eyes and open our hearts to God's calling. What does God want me to do for his kingdom at this very stage in my life? "Sarah, start a blog" Start a bible study? "Sarah, how about writing a blog" Give up social media? "Sarah, use the talents you want to use in the future right now" Love people more? "SARAH GRACE ROGERS. START A BLOG" lord, what if I started a blog? "Hm. why didn't I think of that. Good idea Sarah" Thus LET NO ONE LOOK DOWN ON YOU BECAUSE OF YOUR YOUTH was born. Because I do not have to be a college graduate with a degree to reach people with my words. To shake the very ground I stand on. I can do that now. And just because I am young does not mean God cannot use me. I cannot say I have quit everything i am involved in and spend my days reading the word of God. I wish I could. But i am a sinner and God is still working on my heart. But I no longer squeeze God into the few seconds before I fall into a sleep induced stupor. I make my time with God a priority, and as a result I have come to see my fault in relying on my own strength to pull me through my homework all nighters. So that is the story of the creation of my blog. Sorry it did not take seven days to complete, but by the look of how long this thing turned out, maybe it did. (you'll never knowww). Peace out home skillets.  

      Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:38-42