I don’t know about you but I am very time
conscious. When I forget my watch it
drives me crazy. My kids don’t even wear
watches most of the time, they use their phones. I don’t want to have to draw my phone out
every now and then to see what time it is.
I just want to look at my wrist and there it is. Now they’re making phones that fit on the
wrist. I think it’s just so they can see
what time it is.
One of the interesting things that we all
have in common because of watches, cell phones, clocks on the wall at work or
school, is that we are constantly aware of what time it is. Many times a day you check to see what time
it is. One of the most common questions
people ask is “what time is it?” Every once in a
while we’ll lose ourselves in a book or a hobby and we’ll say something like
this: “I lost track of time.” But very quickly we recover and figure out
what time it is. The problem is, that’s
not the most important question we should ask when it comes to time. So as we enter into 2014 I want us to begin
asking a better question. I think you
will agree this is a better question. Instead
of asking what time is it, I think we should ask this question: What am I doing with my time?
The idea of time slipping away is very
much a part of Scripture. The Bible has
a lot to say about how time quickly goes by.
As you get older, there will come a time when you stop thinking about
how old you are, and you will begin thinking about how much time you have
left. Instead of looking back at how old
you are, you are going to look ahead and sense there is a finish line out there
somewhere. How do we best invest our
time in this new year? What do we do with a fresh 525, 600 minutes?
In Psalm 90 Moses says, “Lord, teach us to
number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” Our days really are numbered, so why not live
them within the context of God’s purpose for us? How about asking God what HE wants you to do
with that day off, that vacation, that business trip, or that weekend you have
free? When we understand that the
context of time is eternal, and our few years so fleeting, it helps us make
wise decisions as we number our days. We
make better financial decisions, better relationship decisions, and better career
decisions.
Instead of asking what time it is, in 2014
we need to ask what we need to be doing with our limited time. This is not about “the end is near”. If you think that way you will run away from
the reality that your days are numbered.
But if you will embrace the fact that God has given you life, He’s given
you another year, and He’s given it to you for a purpose and that purpose is
not you, you will discover a context for which to live your life. Because when it comes to the concept
of time, context is everything. And the context is there is a grander
narrative and you are not the main character.
It’s about allowing Him to leverage our skills and our time for His
glory rather than ours.
