The Gift of Time

God's purposeLiving in the Spirit
August 6, 2015

Scripture Reading: Ephesians 5:15-20

Be careful then how you live, not as unwise people but as wise, making the most of the time, because the days are evil. –Ephesians 5:15-16

“Hi! How are you?” “Fine. I have been really busy. How about you?” “Me, too, I always seem to be running to catch up with myself.” This is a fairly common conversation for me, probably for you also. The truth is the opposite of busy is most likely dead. Even recovering from surgery, when I thought I could really catch up on my reading, I discovered healing is a busy process too, and reading in the after fog of anesthesia is not necessarily productive. What I am saying is it is easy to be busy. The greater challenge is to make our busyness count for something even if it is resting.

I think this is what our scripture today is addressing, owning and using our time wisely. Recognizing time as a gift from God not to be squandered. My mother set a shining example of the wise use of time. She could get more down in a limited amount of time than anyone I know. Yet she always took time to practice her spiritual disciplines. She read the Bible daily. When we were clearing out her house to sell it, we found dozens of notebooks filled with the results of her Bible study. I never saw her go to bed without kneeling beside the bed and praying. I think the moments Mom invested in communing with God were the key to her productivity in all the other areas of her life.

There is an old song, God is Working His Purpose Out*. Set to ponderous music, it no longer fits our need to keep everything upbeat and, therefore, it no longer is in many hymnals. I think the music is perfect for the words. God has been working God’s purpose out for eons and we are a part of that purpose. The question is are we working God’s purpose out through the value-driven use of the time God has given us.

Prayer: We thank you, God, for the gift of time. Order our lives in such a way that enables our time  to be fruitful toward your purpose. Amen.

*God Is Working His Purpose Out, by Arthur Campbell Aigner. See at http://www.oremus.org/hymnal/g/g179.html

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of American. Used by permission. All rights reserved.