WHO CARES?

This subject was addressed tonight during our youth group session at our church. Originally, we were discussing what the Bible has to say about cheating. As much as you can say about cheating (and we did), the discussion stalled when I was giving them suggestions on how to avoid cheating. I gave them a hypothetical example – “What if you were in the hospital the whole night before your quiz. Can’t you ask your teacher for an extension to give you an opportunity to prepare, instead of felling like you have to cheat?” The overwhelming response from the group was that they sincerely believed that their teacher’s really didn’t care about whether they needed help or not. The perception is that the teacher has a job and they do their job – with no regard to the individual needs of the student. Now, many of us adults will want to get into a discussion with the teens about why they didn’t prepare for the quiz ahead of time, but I had to stop and consider the response from the majority of our teens. OUR TEACHERS REALLY DON’T CARE. This comment has stuck with Julie and I all night. Julie is working on her master’s degree in Educational Psychology (way to go, Sweetheart!), and this mentality is pure fodder for her class on student psychology. But the reality is that this brought both of us to tears. It is possible that we are too close to the students to have a truly objective view of this comment, but I look at this from a much broader perspective. Just what do we care about? Why? What do we not care about? Why not?

The phrase “who cares?” defines an attitude of apathy. This attitude, unfortunately, defines the culture in which we live. But just how accurately does this define me? What about you? I believe that the Lord has given me the desire to study this topic during my devotional time. So, I plan on submitting these studies on my blog. I encourage you to study this with me, comment on my posts, give me your input, and share this blog with your family and friends. I don’t expect this to result in some sort of cult following, but I think that this is a topic that we all need to consider. As you read my posts, feel free to encourage, give examples, reflect on your past & present and reinforce any ideas that you feel are valid. In contrast, you are also welcome to use your comments to correct, disagree, or debate. My desire is not to educate. My desire is to learn. It is my belief that the best place to learn from is the Bible. So, my attention will be directed at God’s Word, as well as past and present-day examples.

So, do you care to come along? It may not be as smooth of a ride as you might expect. It may be down-right excruciating. If you plan on using these posts to point the finger at someone else, please don’t read any further. The only pre-qualification is self-application – no hypocrites allowed. Remember the Pharisee when he prayed and thanked the Lord that he was not like the publican? I don’t want to be guilty of that. I want God to do a work in my heart (and yours – whoever you are). Don’t put up a wall of pride. All that will do is dam up the rivers of blessing I feel that God will let flow, if we are only transparent and humble. So, let me remind you, this journey could get rocky, but, then again …who cares?