“Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.” 1 John 3:18
Pastor Keith Enko and his wife Kim drove from Nashville, TN to Bloomington last weekend to be the guest Pastor at my church. There were several points from his message that I have been thinking about this week but one that really keeps sticking in my ‘pride side’ is how much this fallen world has and still sinks its talons into my life. Time; stress trying to manage my time in this world. It’s easy to go through life stressed and overloaded; we are encouraged by this world that its normal for everybody. But getting your relationship with Jesus Christ right is one significant way to reduce the stress you feel. The best expression of love is time.
You may think that love is spelled L-O-V-E. But a better way to spell love is this: T-I-M-E. When you love someone, do you know what gift you desire most from them? Their focused attention. When I love you, I want to see your eyes. I want to talk. I want to listen. I want to commune. I want to fellowship. I want you! The greatest gift you can give anyone is your time; because your time is your life.
Time is probably your most precious commodity. You only have a certain amount of it; and as you read this, several grains of sand have slipped away through your life’s hourglass. God has already decided the number of days you are going to live; you’re not going to get any more. You can always get more money, but you cannot get more time. When you give someone your time, you are giving that person a portion of your life that you will never get back. That’s why your time is the greatest gift you can give.
Pastor Enko spoke about giving the Living Water to those who you care about and also those strangers who brush alongside of you during your life. Many things can rob you of time. Work can rob 40-60 hours from your time a week. Social activities can steal even more hours. Too much church involvement or ministry can rob your family of time. Even hobbies, sports, cable TV and movies can rob others of spending an hour with you.
How can I find more time for those I love? I’m sure you can probably find several ways. Start by turning off the TV, unplugging the computer, and putting down your phone! It’s amazing how many people spend so much of their valuable time in the virtual world while neglecting the people right beside them. If you want to revitalize a dying relationship, a dying marriage, a dying friendship or be able to find that stranger in need of your time to share Living Water, start with investing more of yourself by giving the gift of your time.
Dear Heavenly Father, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Amen.
May God be with you,
Jay