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Gleaner / Education / Focus On What Really Counts
Sep 02

Focus On What Really Counts

  • September 2021
  • Marlene Alvarez
  • Education

While visiting the Spy Museum in Washington, D.C., I was given a mission to save the world from a great tragedy. Although the hour was late, I focused on my mission, picked up my credentials and code name, and proceeded on my journey to complete my assigned task. The mission challenged me to remember facts and make quick, but smart, decisions for the success of the mission before time ran out. It was important to focus on what really counted while keeping in mind the end goal of preventing a disaster.

In our world today, God has given us a mission to save our children. The Bible says, “And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of thy children”—Isaiah 54:13 (KJV). In this verse, “all” includes every child, from the youngest to the oldest, in our communities, churches, and schools. As special agents (church members, parents, and teachers), we are given the responsibility to train up a child in the way that they should go, so that when they are old, they will not depart from it (Proverbs 22:6).

We are to educate and shape the minds of our children for now and for eternity. Like my visit to the Spy Museum, time is against us, and there is much to do. Challenges to our mission include, but are not limited to, calamities, depression, financial hardship, time constraints, and so much more. We cannot allow the challenges to get in the way of focusing on what really counts—saving our children.

“God wants to use Adventist edu­cation to help parents educate their children, starting at a young age (early childhood), where minds are shaped, and children are led to a lifelong relationship with God”—Marlene Alvarez.

The inspired pen says, “The early education of youth shapes their characters both in their secular and in their religious life”—Fundamentals of Christian Education, p. 15. In the climate in which we live, it is hard to focus on the mission. During these past few months, the world has changed. However, the fact remains that nothing is of greater importance than the education of our children. There will come a day when we must provide an answer to the question, “Where is the flock that was given thee, thy beautiful flock?”—Jeremiah 13:20 (KJV). We will have to answer to our Maker and Master and show how we used our God-given gifts to complete the mission of educating and saving all our children!

This past year, our early childhood programs, centers, and classrooms have been impacted significantly. People and circumstances have changed, but God and the mission have remained the same. When our back is against the wall, when we’ve lost our focus and cannot figure out how to complete the mission, we must seek guidance from our Counselor, the Almighty God, and ask for direction, a new perspective, and even a miracle to open the doors that will lead us down a path to success. After all, He is the God of possibilities. Our children need the help of special agents who have a new focus that supports educating the youngest members of our church and community.

God wants to use Adventist edu­cation to help parents educate their children, starting at a young age (early childhood), where minds are shaped, and children are led to a lifelong relationship with God. Our children need special agents who believe in the power of prayer and are on watch for God. Have you accepted your mission? Ask Him to help you focus on what really counts—training our children for now and for eternity.

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About The Author

Marlene Alvarez is the Atlantic Union Conference associate director of education, early childhood education and care, and children’s ministries.

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