Wasting Time Being Well Rounded

Later this month I am going to speak at my Alma mater, McKendree College. Well, I'm not actually speaking at the school, but at an off campus ministry located a block from campus. This is the same ministry that I helped found and run for almost a year of my college career. I am terribly excited to go speak. The drive is long and the crowd pretty small, as some may measure smallness, and the drive back is even longer but still something in me gets excited to speak each time I am asked. Maybe its the sense of "neededness" that I feel when the director emails me, or maybe the dream of revival on campus sparked by one voice is still alive in my heart. Who knows?

As I was brainstorming, which I do regularly before I speak, on what I would speak on, an idea popped in my head. Currently, my ministry involvement is based solely with people 20 years old and under. And as it goes, with most people this age, they are completely entrenched in school life. If they aren't playing 3 sports, cheerleading, captain of the speech team, student body Representative, and assistant to the principal or dean, they at least attend all the events that allow someone to watch those who are. And so life goes...day after day, week after week, month after month...and yes...year after year.

Now I don't want anyone to think that I don't appreciate schooling because I do. I love school. I love it so much that I could only stay away for 2 years. This year I will begin my graduate work at the seminary of my choice...I am totally elated and overjoyed. But one thing I hate and hated and I went through school. There is this mindset with parents and educators that eventually becomes a cancer in the mind of each student that they are to be "well-rounded" individuals.

In high school this means playing sports, attending sporting events, being involved in 34 clubs, going to all the school dances, bonfires, pep rallies and glee club performances... all of that AND have an active social life that is chucked full of text and instant messaging until your fingers (which you just learned the right keys they belong on) grow calloused.

As college comes around the same is true. Every parent and educator will harp on "grades" and "classes" and maybe even call it "studies." And because this student has gone through a high school career where everyone told him or her to do everything and be "well rounded" they have been mind-bathed to be "well rounded." And what does THAT mean? Let me tell you what it means as I saw it and am seeing it.

College student A goes to said college and begins to study for his/her prospective degree in which they have devoted hours and days to dreaming out. About 2 weeks into the first semester student A is invited by students X, Y, and Z (the older students) to be well rounded. They begin to stay up late every night "hanging out." No, this isn't going to turn into the talk that some may give you about warning against the late nights of booze, sex, and experimental drug use. I am talking about just straight chillin'.

So student A is diligent in his/her studies, joins a frat/sorority and enjoys the well rounded college life. He/she is learning the ropes of life. Many responsibilities and juggling them all. And when they come home from school for break they "hang out" and "catch up" will all the old high school friends who also gained 20 lbs their first semester and really don't care about the old stuff they used to.

So what the heck am I saying? (I'm beginning to lose myself) What the heck is our educational life for? I call it that because its almost as if the rest of our world goes into pause mode when its going on. We are expected to focus on who? US! We are indoctrinated to worry about, plan for, care for, dream about, me...self...I. Its talked about and approached like the world will end and someone will turn into a never shaving, forever stinking, social recluse, wackjob if they care about Jesus during this time.

And I don't mean the "well rounded" caring about Jesus that I saw the other day when I saw a group of 4 girls who are currently drunkards and fornicators praying for their meal. I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall for that one. "Dear Jesus, thank you for this food. We pray that we would not get the clap tonight as we embark on a new journey to see how much hard liquor our stomachs can hold and our livers can process. Let this food give us the energy to bump and grind dance for hours and even have enough energy to get the guy's number before we fall asleep after yet another one night stand. Amen." Someone else thought it was funny...funny enough to write a comment about it on their facebook. They girl's response..."At least I said the prayer!." Seriously...she said that.

What I am saying is this...because I hope that anyone who reads this will probably fall close to the age where they can be affected by it... have some stinkin' sense of mission in your life. If you love Jesus, live like it. Live according to His word, and live for Him. Quit the cussing...it really isn't as cool as you think it sounds. Quit the social drinking... still not as cool as you think it looks. Idolizing people like Bob Marley and Snoop Dogg was cool in 7th grade, but really won't and don't point you to Jesus in any sort of way. Quit caring so much about being well rounded and being involved in everything. Jesus didn't put a "high school or college clause" in the gospel. He didn't tell us to serve Him only after we graduate and have lived life to the fullest and experimented enough to know what we like and don't like.

Mark it down, students will look back on time well wasted. Years and opportunities to share Jesus and live like Jesus, and become more like Jesus wasted...for what?... popularity? fun? entertainment?

My head still isn't completely straight on what I'm going to share later this month... but I know what it WON'T be on: "How to share Jesus while pumping the keg" or "Greet each other with a holy kiss, back massage, sexual favor" or "Accountability: knowing when to say enough is enough" and definitely not "Jesus' first miracles: deductive reasoning as to why its OK to throw an orgy."

Jesus died...start Living