Jessica Albritton, Family Connections Minister, LHBC
Philippians 1:27
“Conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel.”
The other week we took our students to camp. On the first night, right after we dropped off bags and ate dinner, leaders and students made their way to the main worship area for the opening celebration. All 44 in our convoy, along with the rest of the 1,500 campers, made our way across campus. Leaders gathered to look at the seating chart to figure out where we were to go and we all began to make our way up the stairs to the balcony. Lights were already down and students were excited. As everyone started to get settled a video began to play on the screen. Students leaned in and leaders began to count. If you have ever been on a trip with kids, you know counting is a part of the job. You count before you leave, after you arrive, and every time you move. As I counted, I realized something was off. I counted again. The Youth Pastor counted. He counted again. We make eye contact and realize we have the same thought. We are missing a kid. Another leader sees the looks and begins to count himself. Next thing we know all 7 leaders are counting and trying to make out the backs of kids heads to figure out who’s missing. We begin to go through the list of names and match kids on the list with students in seats. After a few minutes we finally figured out who was missing. We call and text. Nothing. Leaders spread out and begin to search. Downstairs, upstairs, outside, in the bathrooms. One leader even took off running back to the dining room. Nothing. About that time kids are getting dismissed to scatter across the campus to meet their Bible study leader. I pull 2 students aside who are assigned to the same leader as the missing kid. “Look, Carson is missing. Keep your eyes peeled and when you get to your room, if he’s there, you call me immediately!” About 2 minutes later I got the call. He made it to Bible study! Leaders all start to relax. He was lost but now he’s found and we all breathed a collective sigh of relief.
Later that night when we found him, we asked where he had been. His response, “I was sitting in the worship area!” After a few minutes of back and forth we all realized he was sitting exactly where we were all supposed to be sitting. Leaders had misread the seating chart and told everyone wrong. When Carson got out of the bathroom he glanced at the chart and made his way to the correct spot. He was exactly where he was supposed to be. We all thought he was lost, but really, we were the lost ones, we just didn’t know it. He told a leader later that night, “You know, I knew I was exactly where I was supposed to be but I was all alone. I almost got up and started to look for everyone but I didn’t know where to begin. I was about to start crying but when we dismissed and I finally saw another student from our group I was ok.” That got me thinking.
The Bible is very clear that we are to walk in righteousness. The Word tells all believers to follow Christ and not the ways of the world. Galatians 6:9 reminds believers to “not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary.” Romans 12:21 warns believers to “not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good.” In this world there will be times when decisions must be made and, in those moments, we have a choice. Will we choose to be faithful or will we cave to temptation? There may be times when doing the right thing leaves you all alone, just like Carson was in that worship area. Alone, scared, sad. But at the end of the day Carson was RIGHT. What is more important, being COMFORTABLE or being RIGHT? I pray for you and me, we would choose to be right!
PRAYER FOR TODAY:
Heavenly Father, tune my heart towards You and make me more like You! When the temptation to be comfortable creeps in, give me strength to stand firm in righteousness. Help me to be more concerned with righteousness and pleasing You than I am of pleasing those around me! In Jesus name, amen!
MEMORY VERSE OF THE WEEK:
Isaiah 6:8
And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.”