Ephesians 5:15-17 (Contemporary English Version)
Time
- Disappears when I think I don't have enough
- Drags by when I think I have too much on my hands
(which is rare!) - Time is a very valuable commodity:
- Yesterday's time is always gone--don't live in the past!
- Tomorrow's time is never here--don't live in the future!
(ex. I'll do that when the kids grow up, etc...)
- Time is one of the most valuable assets that was given to me by God, for me to control in my life
- How I spend my allotment of time largely indicates my values
- How I spend my allotment of time largely defines who I am
- Time is more valuable than money
- Time can be wasted foolishly on things
- Time can be invested wisely in relationships
- Time can't be banked like money, but time spent with others (especially with my children) can earn dividends
- the only time I have is NOW - the present!
It can't be sold by me to anyone, can't be bought from someone else for myself, and mine can't be given away to anyone else for their share, and I can't get more either!
Time given to me, that I am living and experiencing right now is a gift from God - a present! I never know from day to day if it is my last day here with family and friends. I take it for granted that it will not be, but I truly do not know. Time is to be cherished, treated with care, used wisely, treasured.
"But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day."
2 Peter 3:8
I think we fall guilty into this a little...believing that we have 'umpty umpteen' years left -- I know I do. This perceived amount of unlimited time to "get right," "get it together," patch relationships, to earn more money, to have more time in the future, to have more time to one day finally make time for what's really important, or time when older and retired to really get to know God. Our days are surely numbered, so we should be very prudent and wise with our use of our God-given gift of time.
I don't know how much time I have....no one does....treat your time as a gift - with thanksgiving and grace. Use your time here on earth wisely, being mindful of God's unique purpose and wonderful plan for your life and that of your family.
3 comments:
Very interesting thoughts on time. I agree with all but one point, which I explain later.
It seems our society puts a lot of emphasis on what we do. People ask 'what did you do over the weekend', expecting to hear a list of things. How many times do we hear the answer.....I didn't do anything, just relaxed and was quiet.........or, I was still, and listening. Most Americans aren't comfortable with quiet or being still. I think we should be called "human doings" instead of human beings.
I disagree with how I spend my time defining who I am. If I define "who I am" by who I associate with, what organizations I belong to, or what type of work I do, the common thread with all of these things is that they are temporal and could change with the wind. For me, who I am is defined by what Christ did. My identity is that I am a child of God, whether I cram every minute with stuff, or sit totally still. God has defined who I am and that will never change.
The hardest part of time for me is staying in the present. It's so easy to think about tomorrow or have woulda, shoulda, couldas about the past.
Lucy
Hey Lucy, I am so glad you commented! I wanted to answer you sooner than this, (Cuz I know you were checking for my response!)but yesterday was a very loooong day for me, and I did not get a chance to get online to post back.
I will do my best to try to clarify what I am trying to say...if you still disagree, then that is ok too, cuz you know I still love you! ;-)
You said:
"I disagree with how I spend my time defining who I am."
My response:
What I am trying to say is that I know I have a limited amount of hours each day to try to fulfill my purpose here in life...where I place a large or an excessive amount of time tells the world and God what I deem most important to me...that defines my being in a sense, because I have placed it in a position of very high importance by allowing it to consume my precious time.
For example this blog. It takes time to write. I write this blog at times when I am not taking away from my family (or my job!) I post when my family is asleep or during my lunch time at work. My time with my family is foremost and precious, and I will not take away the few precious hours I have with them daily to be online for anything more than 5 minutes. I do not post while I am supposed to be working, because that just is not right. My job has a right to expect my dedication to the functions of the workplace during 8:30 to 5:00 during the week.
So I know this blog demands time to create, and it is important to me at this time in my life, so I make the time for it, but I schedule it so that it is not in conflict with other things more important to me. Hope that clears that up, in terms of how I spend my time defining me in terms of what is important to me!"
You said:
"For me, who I am is defined by what Christ did. My identity is that I am a child of God, whether I cram every minute with stuff, or sit totally still. God has defined who I am and that will never change."
My response:
"Amen! I agree totally."
Time is a gift of love and grace.
Without time there'd be no time to change,
Time to be tried, humbled and broken,
Time to hear the word of love spoken.
- the Secret of Time by Charlie Peacock
God lives outside of time. Time was created for all of us and our dimension to learn the Secret - even though it is really not a secret. Even so, part of the secret is to understand that God is not bound by our concept of him. The things we do thinking we are serving God, like being true to a set of doctrines or another, are not the gauge by which we are and will be judged. Because the second you say that this is The way you exclude all other ways to "live" for God - and by default you are obligating God to honor your doings in his name in terms of eternity. I don't think it works that way (at least right now in my time). If there is nothing I can do to earn salvation then what can I do to lose it once I have accepted Christ's gift of grace. Sure you can do things that are good and of merit, but that does nothing to make you anymore qualified to receive grace and salvation. So just be and do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Even though you exist in time try to live as if you were outside of time.
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