Time for Eternity, Part 2

June, 2006

by: Jay Underwood

How many minutes are in a day? There are 1,440 minutes in a day. Now what if I told you that I wanted to give you $1 for every minute of the day, every day, for the rest of your life, just “because?” Now mind you, you didn’t do anything to earn or deserve it, it’s just a gift from me to you. But there’s just one little stipulation…everyday that I give you this money, you have to spend at least $20 on me. That’s $20 out of every $1,440. And you could spend it any way you wanted to. You could buy me something that I might want, give me a surprise gift or you could even pay me the 20 bucks back in cash, it doesn’t matter. What would you say to this offer? You’d take it, wouldn’t you? Yet God gives us 1,440 minutes a day, every day and what portion of that are we willing to spend on Him; give back to Him? Could we not give Him even 30 minutes out of that 1,440? Think of all the ways you spend your time in the course of a day when you’re not at work or school. For instance the time you spend on extra-curricular activities like band, choir or school clubs or for parents’ hobbies and special interests, hanging out with friends, hanging out at the mall, hanging out at Starbucks, hanging out in your room or on the phone, on the computer, playing games, listening to music, reading things with no spiritual value, taking a nap, sports, sports, and more sports with some of you having 2 practices and a game each week (and this includes you parents), and do I have to even mention...T.V. and movies?

But yet do we have even 30 minutes a day for God? Can we not open our Bibles and feast upon all the delectable and delightful treats that He has graciously given us (Ps. 19:10)? Can’t we give time in humble prayer (1 Thess 5:17) to the God of the universe who has created and upholds all things by His powerful Word (Heb 1:3)? This God who has thought about you before time even began (Eph 1:4)? Who has loved you before you loved Him (1Jn 4:19)? Can we not bow before Him and give Him praise and thanksgiving for all He has done in our lives and all that He does for us each day (Psalm 69:30)? Can we not take a moment and confess our sins to Him, begging for His forgiveness (1 Jn 1:9)? Can we not show our trust and dependence on Him by asking Him to meet our needs and the needs of others (Matt 6:11; 7:7)? Can we not show Him our deep, deep love and gratitude by serving Him in the Body of Christ (Jn 13:14)? After all, isn’t He the one that gives you the 1,440 minutes in the first place? Think about it, He creates you and loves you, saves you and wants what’s best for you and gives you time, but what do you give God? What do you do to say thank you to Him? What do you do that shows God you truly love Him? What do you do that shows your obedience to Him? Do you give Him anything back? Do you give Him your…time? Consider 2 Cor 1:12 and how having godly wisdom through God’s grace might affect your decisions as to how you spend your time. It speaks of a life following after God, loving God, obeying God. Of course the Bible has much to say about fleshly “wisdom,” just look at Prov 28:26.

This very day I ask you to consider , “How do I spend my time? Am I using it for the glory of God so that I can, as Ps 90:12 says, cultivate a heart of Godly wisdom or am I preparing a heart of unholy foolishness?” If the answer to the previous question is no; you don’t have a heart for His Word, you don’t have a heart for prayer, you don’t have a heart for service, then you need to seriously examine your life and see what’s missing. That’s kind of a trick question because I am going to tell you what’s most likely missing: repentance and a personal relationship with the One True Living God, namely, Jesus Christ. And it’s only through true repentance, and faith in Him and His work on the cross that you can even begin to live for Him, and make your time here on this earth count for all eternity. That you might present to Him a heart of wisdom and hear Him say to you, “Well done good and faithful servant.”