How are you spending your time?

Can you believe it’s the first Sunday in November? It still feels like the year just started. The older I get the more time flies. I plan something and before I know it, the time has arrived. When we lost the hour for Daylight Savings Time several months ago, I thought of how I couldn’t wait to get that hour back and now it’s here, but I don’t know that the hour means all that much except now I’ll be coming home from work in the dark – I did enjoy being able to lay in bed for a little while longer this morning. 

At the end of the day, we all have only so much time. According to the bible, a man’s (or woman’s) days are numbered (Job 14:5). Only God knows how long we have. And given I believe that, the only thing left for me to decide is how I will spend the time I have. Will I throw it away playing video games or watching movies (two things I love) or will I be about my Father’s business? Now the two don’t have to be mutually exclusive, but it does require me to be intentional about my actions. I can watch a movie or play a video game, as long as I don’t put them before what God is calling me to do. There’s nothing wrong with enjoying come clean things in life as long as they are not getting a higher place than our purpose in God (Eph 5:15-16). 

God calls us to not have any other God’s before Him or to have idols (Exo 20:3-5, Lev 26:1). We have to be careful we are not making idols of things or people - where any opinions or desires weigh more than God’s. He created us for His glory (Isa 43:7) and, like the money we’ve been blessed to steward, how we spend our time, shows what has the greatest importance in our lives (Matt 6:21). Take for instance someone who says the Lord and their family are the most important things to them, but they work all the time or spend all their time at the local casino or bar. They are saying one thing and doing something else.  Our actions speak more for us than our words. 

Of course, there are excuses – “I’m working to give them a better life” or “They are better off without me.” Better than what? Is giving them things or your absence more important than giving of yourself? Or is it just easier or more comfortable? Do they really know you? Do you know them? Is a life full of stuff really more fulfilling that a life of experiences with people who truly love and are there for you? 

So how are you spending your time? Take a look at what you say you value and look at how the use of your time shows that or whether it shows something completely differently. Stuff is nice, but you are better. Never underestimate the power of showing up and giving of yourself. Life is too short to have regrets when you can do something about them.