By James Robinson
Pastor, Durant First Baptist Church
What’s the most valuable thing you have?
Before you start slapping price tags on things, stop and think. What are we most stingy with? The answer might be TIME!
It’s pretty amazing these days to see what people are willing to spend time on especially when that might be the most valuable thing they possess. Time spent on the internet via phones and tablets is astounding. Judy and I left the OU/Texas Tech football game one recent Saturday “early” after three hours and there was a complete quarter left to play. Last Sunday night baseball fans (including me) were glued to their TV’s for over five hours waiting for the slug-fest to end. An entire day can be spent going from one shoe store to the other.
And yet, I still occasionally am asked, “Can you make the worship service just a little shorter?”
Don’t worry, I’m not planning a five-hour sermon, but I think you get the point. How much time are we willing to give that which is infinitely more important?
God’s Word tells us in Ephesians 5:16 to “make the best use of the time, because the days are evil.” Eugene Peterson puts it this way: “Make the most of every chance you get. These are desperate times.” (The Message).
Don’t take this to mean we are all supposed to be workaholics, burning the candle at both ends. Resting can be as important as hard work. But what it does mean is to evaluate HOW you use your time. The quality of the time spent may be more important than the quantity.
This may sound like a message for only the young and very busy. But as I move toward a transition in how I have spent my days for the better part of 45 years, I realize that having MORE time may be just as big a challenge. How I spend those 168 hours I have each week will change. But rather than just spending them, I want to invest them in that which is timeless – His kingdom.