Time is ticking!
What if you had a bank that opened each morning with £86,000 in it. However, the money can’t be carried over from one day to the next. Given that scenario, most of us would draw out every penny every day and use it wisely for ourselves, our family or a good charitable cause. We probably wouldn’t let the balance disappear each day.
In a sense, we have such an account and its currency is time. Every morning God gives us 86,400 seconds to spend any way we choose. They can never be carried over to the next day, there is no going back and there is no drawing against tomorrow. Someone once said, ‘Time is the coin of life. It’s the only coin you have and only you can determine how it will be spent (Carl Sandberg). Therefore, perhaps it should be more important to us how spend the currency of our time and be careful not allow anyone else to spend it for us.
However, it’s a great principle of love to share our time with others, we see that example from Jesus throughout His life as He willingly spent time with individuals who He knew needed it the most. He compassionately saw those with a need as ‘sheep without a shepherd’, demonstrating His care by spending time with them (Mark 6.34).
There was an occasion when Jesus took time to notice the older lady who touched His robe. That day, she was one in a multitude within the crowd, but Jesus notices how she took the time to draw near to Him for her need. He responded with sincere compassion and encouragement, resulting in her receiving what she needed the most: healing and wholeness.
Jesus also gave His time to those who valued what He came to offer: fulness of life. He said, ‘Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled’ (Matthew 5.6). So, when people draw near to Jesus, He meets their need in drawing close to them (James 4.8).
Jesus also spent time with people who wanted to learn about the deeper things of God. His disciples responded, without delay, when Jesus said to them, ‘come and follow Me’. They learned much from Him (John 16.12), in the three short years of His ministry as they received on-the-job training to continue what He started once He returned to heaven (John 14.12).
Isn’t life a lot more meaningful when we fill our time with these things, such as giving to each other as we grow in faith together, giving our time to help each other, learning about good things, eternal things? We always seem to have time for things like television programs, or wasting time in ways that don’t add any value to life or eternity. But what about relationships with people or more importantly, time for building a relationship with God?
Perhaps it’s time to reconsider how we spend our time, and ask ourselves is it time well spent. Do we invest well in heavenly matters that are eternal in significance, for in time, that’s all that will really matter?
Jesus, the Son of God, knew it was important to spend His time wisely and dedicated time to prayer and seeking God’s will. Drawing near to God in prayer or seeking Him for who He is through His Word, is the only thing we pursue in life that has value with eternal significance. However, all too often, this is the one thing we put off until we get everything else in order. What if we invested our time in the heavenly bank account of time with God, and, as He promises when we seek first His kingdom, all other things will be added to us (Matthew 6.3).
Prayer
Dear Lord, when our life on earth is done, may we stand before you and hear the words, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant’. Let us use our time wisely to draw near to You, to seek first Your Kingdom and to share our time with others in ways that will have eternal value, in the Name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
