Poor stewardship

Matthew 6:21 NKJV

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

In the dream, the parent was going to use their money to pay for their child to be in a secular university in order to make them look good and be successful. They would not consider investing in an education in a Christian environment to help the young person develop a Biblical world view. It revealed the heart of the parent. What you do with money reveals what is in your heart. We need to make sure we are using our resources to promote the advancement of the Kingdom of God in every way we can. Seeing that we are stewards of God’s money, when there are choices to be made with our funds, let us choose what pleases our Lord. We will give an account to Him.

False security

Jeremiah 17:5 NKJV

Thus says the Lord:“Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart departs from the Lord.

In the dream, the parent insisted that their child get a degree from a prestigous university and the “best” education. The spiritual well-being of the child was overlooked because they saw the secular university as a place that would give them job security. They looked at how prestigous the school was and believed that a degree from there would be beneficial. If we overlook the wickedness of the wicked and place our confidence in their reputation and fame, we run the risk of cursing ourselves. The prophet Jeremiah gave a warning from God for those whose heart turned away from God and chose to put their confidence in what man can do for them. He said they brought a curse on themselves. Let us not insult God by putting confidence in anyone or anything instead of putting our trust totally in Him. When we trust the Lord, we will put a higher value on spiritual things than on natural things.

False View of Success

Philippians 3:12-14 NKJV

Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

In the dream the parent had a false view of success for their child. There is a worldly view of success and there is a godly view of success. In the world, people look to achieve fame and material goals and impress other people. Those who serve God look to achieve God’s approval and receive a “Well done, good and faithful servant” response from Him. There is a saying that goes something like this: “Only one life, ‘twill soon be past. Only what’s done for Christ will last.” Whether it is in ministry or on a secular job, we must all seek to fulfill God’s purpose for our lives. If the Lord says “Well done!” we have achieved success. No other acolades can compare. So, let’s forget about our own good or even great ideas and find out what God’s plan is and pursue it, staying in touch with Him for specific instructions.

False Identity

Ephesians 2:22 NKJV

in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit

The dream revealed that the Christian was making decisions on the basis of a false identity. When we do not know who we are and/or walk in our true identity, it adversely affects our choices and behavior. We were created in Christ to be a dwelling place of God. We are the temple or house of the Holy Spirit. When we own a house, we make it reflect our taste. Those who know us will not expect to walk in and not be able to tell it is our home. If we like traditional decor, they will wonder if they are in the right place if everything inside was contemporary. Since we are the temple of the Holy Spirit, what we do with our lives should reflect the character of the Lord. If we confess to belong to Him, people should not look at our lives and see what looks like the world or the devil. When we read the Old Testament we see God’s continual frustration with His people not conducting themselves according to their true identity. They were constantly imitating the heathen who had no knowledge of God. For example, in Jeremiah 7:18b NKJV He said, “they pour out drink offerings to other gods, that they may provoke Me to anger.” May we study who we are according to God’s Word and conduct ourselves in a manner that reflects our true identity.

Lack of Concern about Spiritual Things

Matthew 16:26 NKJV

For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?

Wrong priorities lead to a lack of concern about spiritual things. In the dream, the parent wanted worldly prestige for their child. Because this was more important than godliness, the parent had a lack of concern about the spiritual effect on their child. Many children who have lost their relationship with God were aided in their backsliding by the parents making bad decisions for them. Some parents have helped their children make bad decisions because the parents did not value spiritual things more than they did natural things. How can a parent be happy about their child achieving high status in the world at the expense of losing their soul. Some children who lost their relationship with God in college, never should have gone in the first place. Their downfall was financed by their parent/s.

Adults make decisions about material things, jobs, careers, relationships and even marriage for reasons of pride, prestige or earthly gains at the expense of their relationship with the Lord. Their wrong priorities caused them to lose concern about spiritual things when making decisions. The results can be anywhere from disappointing to tragic. Jesus did His part to help us understand how we must always put spiritual things above natural things. As He said more than once, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"

Wrong Priorities

Wrong priorities is what caused Adam and Eve to bring the curse of sin into the earth. Ever since then, it has been wrong priorities that has caused most of mankind’s problems. This world’s problems have come about by choices people made based on selfish motives.

Matthew 6:33 NKJV

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

Jesus told His followers to have the right priorities. He said the Kingdom of God and His righteousness are to be first and foremost in our thinking. When we are deciding what to do, the first question needs to be, “How will this decision affect the Kingdom?”

Colossians 3:1 NJKV

If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God.

When Jesus was faced with an extremely difficult decision in the Garden of Gethsamene, if He did not have His priorities right, humanity would be hopelessly lost. I would not be sending this message because I would not be here. If we are grateful that He put the Kingdom first, let us show our gratitude by doing the same. Let’s make those difficult decisions and do the right thing for God’s glory.