‘Spend Time With the Lord’: HUD Secretary Gives Advice to Young People

Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner recommends young people prioritize their faith every day. 

When asked by Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts what advice he would give to young people, Turner told them to start their day by “spend[ing] time with the Lord.” Turner appeared with Roberts at the organization’s “Belief in Action” event on Tuesday.

“I have some great mentors in the faith, in the NFL, and in college that taught me the importance of seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you,” Turner said. 

Turner, a Southern Baptist minister and former NFL player, said that spending time reading the Bible and praying is the most important part of his day. 

“If I don’t do anything else, when I wake up, I spend time with the Lord, and it’s not an appointment that I have that’s written in pencil,” he said, “it’s an appointment that I have that’s written in blood, and that’s the blood of Christ.”

Turner encouraged others to put the Lord first, not on the back burner. 

“I encourage you to prioritize your time spent with the Lord, and don’t just do a drive by,” he said. “Get the Bible, read while you drink your coffee.”

There’s a lot of change in Washington, but Turner encouraged listeners to place their hope in an unchanging God. 

“Our faith cannot be based on circumstances,” he said. “It has to be based on the sovereignty and the omnipotence of God Almighty. Because God is immutable. He does not change. We do.”

“Politics matter because policies matter,” he added. “Policies matter because people matter. We understand that, but we have to keep it in a proper perspective.”

When Turner lacks perspective, he said he tries to remind himself that God’s plan is better than his own plan. 

“When I lack perspective, I say, Lord, which way should I go?” Turner said. “You know the plan you have in my life. You are the chief architect of my life. So I don’t want to seek after anything else but your will, your plan, your purpose, and I do it, and I still myself before the Lord.”