Time: A Divine Gift
What are you Building?
How are you spending the gift of time God has given you?
As Christians we believe in eternity. We also believe that what we do here on earth matters.
But often we jealously guard our free time as if it’s something to be hoarded, so we can spend it on ourselves.
Enjoying myself with some fun activity is fine, but I’ve been guilty of some real time-wasting, useless activities. Haven’t you?
We each have an expiration date, a time when we will leave this earth. As Bible teacher Andy Stanley puts it, “When you’re out of time, you’re out of life.” True. I don’t know if I’ll live 26 more years or if I’ll die next Tuesday. We all are equally clueless about the time we have left.
That’s part of God’s deliberate design.
Our Savior gives us free choice because He loves us. But we will ultimately answer to Him about how we used all our God-given gifts, including our time.
The Wealthy Dreamer
Remember Jesus’ parable about the rich man whose harvest was so great that his barns overflowed? He dreamed of a future life of ease, pleasure and endless self-indulgence.
But the twist in Jesus’ parable stings.
20 “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’
21 “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.” (Luke 12:20-21 NIV)
This rich man wasted the precious hours, days, weeks and years that God gave him. For he thought only of himself.
There’s nothing sadder.
How to be Rich Toward God
Obeying the Spirit’s promptings ends up giving us ‘a life well spent.’
In the last few years, I’ve tried to do any small act of kindness that enters my mind. I happen to believe that Almighty had the thought first, then passed it on to me. So the idea itself is a bit of a holy prompt.
The kindness might be small, just a funny note or unexpected compliment, but if it’s God-directed, it achieves His purposes.
Just a few Letters
When Paul wrote his prison letters to Ephesus, Philippi and Colossi, he thought he was blessing a handful of churches. Giving a final clear teaching to a few embattled believers whom he loved.
At most, Paul thought his words would be read by a handful of people. His letters would have an impact and then be forgotten.
Nope.
As usual, the Lord had a better idea.
The New Testament alone has been translated into 1,726 languages. The Holy Spirit has used this apostle’s God-given teaching, insight and encouragement to minister to Christians everywhere, throughout the centuries.
Can you imagine Paul’s stunned surprise when he reached Heaven?
My Spiritual Point
Remember, anything the Holy Spirit prompts us to do, no matter how small or unimportant, can never be a waste of time.
I downloaded these images from Pixabay.com.
