What time is it? What time do we need to be there? What time do we need to leave? It’s about time! Time, is a funny thing. It may not seem to be there, especially when you are running out of it! But it ticks softly away in the background of each day, just waiting for us to use it wisely.
So, how do you spend your time? How do you plan your day?
If your organized like me, you probably have one or more “To-Do-Lists” that you use to keep you on track and on time. If your old school, you might jot down the things that need to be done for the day with pen and paper or in a daily planner. The techie types may use their smart phone to record similar tasks.
I prefer the paper versions and use a colorful array of sticky notes for errands that need to be run after work; a separate sticky for grocery shopping on Saturday mornings, with an asterisk by the note to pick up the dry cleaning! There is also the unending colorful array of Post-It-Notes on my desktop and files at work; and there never seems to be enough time in a day to get all those tasks completed!
In the midst of all the sticky notes and to-do-list madness, when you think about your life and the “time” you spend here on earth, are you investing your time solely on the temporary things of this world, or is there “time” marked out of your day to spend in relationship with the one who created you?
I struggled with making quiet time with Jesus a part of my daily routine when I was younger. I was too busy checking off my to-do-lists and didn’t have too much time left over. The time that was left was used toward temporal things. I missed out on precious time that could have been spent in relationship with my Heavenly Father, and I’m certain that whatever I was doing was of no greater importance!
Through the years I’ve come to learn that my day is more focused and centered when I start out talking with Jesus. I set my alarm to get up 30 mins earlier each day, so I can spend it in prayer and relationship with my Lord. It’s become a routine and one that I greatly miss if I conscientiously decide to sleep in. That’s why getting to bed at a descent hour is also important to me, so I can get up when the alarm goes off.
Although I have a writing desk where I do most of my blogging, I have a separate area in my den where a comfy chair, a bright reading lamp, my Bible, a journal and my devotional books, pens and highlighters all sit quietly awaiting my arrival each morning. And yes God is there too! He is there every morning whether I show up or not.
I am disappointed in myself when I oversleep or willingly choose to miss that precious time with Him now. Granted I can talk to Him throughout my busy day and I do but there is nothing better than that time I spend early in the morning with no distractions. It’s just my time with God. I am amazed at how He speaks directly to me too, when I take the time to listen.
The book of Ecclesiastes is quoted often for its verses about “time”.
ECCLESIASTES 3:1-8 (NIV)
There is a time for everything and a season for everything under heaven:
a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain,
a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace
The Teacher quoted in Ecclesiastes spends his time searching all of life’s questions, trying to find some reasoning as to the “why’s of life”; why we do the things we do, why we work so hard for material things that will only be left to someone else after we die.
The Teacher researches our work, our pleasures, the striving for advancement and riches; even wisdom and folly. His findings reveal that all of our efforts are meaningless and merely a chasing after the wind. He discerns through all of his study that the only thing in this life that matters is to fear God and keep His commands!
I am reminded as I read through these verses just how quickly “time” passes us by. We don’t often realize the beauty of the season until it is over. We spend countless hours, tending to monumental “to-do-lists” and Post-It-Note reminders, that in the grand scheme of things are meaningless!
Our time here on earth should be spent in preparation for where we will spend eternity…where the clock never stops ticking. Maybe we should strive to carve out some time to study God’s word, finding time to spend alone with Him in prayer, being ever mindful that our time here on earth is only temporary, but has a much greater eternal consequence.
Won’t you join me and spend time today thanking and praising God for all He has done for you? Maybe you prefer to talk to God before you go to sleep each night. The time of day is not important, as long as, the time is set aside for this purpose.
If you think your To-Do-List is just too full and you can’t squeeze in some quiet time, I would suggest to start with just 5 minutes. It is amazing how quickly a few minutes time will turn into half an hour or even longer when you put your focus on Jesus, thanking and praising Him for all He has done for us!
Prayer for today:
Lord Jesus: We thank You today for the awareness of time. Help us to plan our days knowing that they are numbered. We thank you too Lord, for teaching us to carve out time to spend in prayer, reading and studying Your Word, knowing that this is the most important time of the day. We look forward to our time together now and throughout all eternity! Amen