Monday, June 27, 2011

All the Time In the World

By my small number of posts over the past two weeks, you're probably thinking I have ran out of things to say. Let me assure you, that is so NOT the case. There are so many thoughts rolling around in my head, I've been having a hard time narrowing them down well enough to put them into typed words. You are also probably thinking that I forgot about Warrior Princess Wednesday last week. Truth is - I did and I didn't. I completed my post for Wednesday and forgot to address the verse, so I decided to give you a couple of extra days on it and bring it up on Friday - Needless to say, Friday didn't happen either, as you already know. It seems this little annual event called VBS took over the life within my household last week and Friday's post never happened. 

Rest assured, we will still wield our swords as we learn His Word. We will still continue to make time to learn and store within us the treasure of His truth.

Here's my Godsword from Memory:

The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat of it's fruit. Proverbs 18:21

Since you have had almost a whole extra week to learn this one, I am expecting lots of comments over the next few days as you recite your verse. Remember if there is something you have memorized instead, let us know. All that matters is that we are learning God's Word.

I have a question for you -

How many times have you fallen for this lie?  I don't have time.

I can't begin to tell you the number of times I have fallen for that lie, and God reminded me again how easy it is to fall for it as I read a book by Pastor Craig Groeschel entitled WEIRD: Because Normal Isn't Working.   

Is "normal" working for you?  'Cause it sure ain't working for me, which is why the title interested me.

I have wasted so much time and energy trying to be "normal" and blend in with everyone else over the years - for what?  "Normal" is not all it's cracked up to be. 

Weird is ok.  John the Baptist was weird.  Jesus was weird.  I'm ok with weird.

I began reading this book in my car on the way to our vacation destination, and had to close it and put it away just a few pages into it.  I told Todd that I could not read anymore of this book and he looked at me like I had lost it or something.  I had to explain that I could not read any further until I was still and had a highlighter.  There was too much to apply and I didn't want to miss anything.  So, as we arrived to the beloved sand and shore of Destin, Florida, I plopped into my beach chair, highlighter in hand, and started all over. 

The first chapter was about time, and in fact, was entitled "Killing Time" and early in the chapter the author pointed out a truth that counters the "I don't have time" lie.  That truth is this:

You have enough time to do everything God wants you to do.

And guess what scripture he used to back that up?  One of our Godswords - 2 Peter 1:3  For His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness.

It was one of those moments where I just knew that everyone else one on the beach was aware that He was talking directly to me.  I had to look around to be sure there wasn't a neon sign above my chair that said:

CAUTION:
SLOW LEARNER



LESSON IN PROGRESS......
.......AGAIN.


The author said we don't need more time, we need to use the time we have differently.  We have time for what we choose to invest our time in.   We find time for what is important to us. 

Then, he issued a challenge, and I want to pass that same challenge on to you.

Catch yourself the next time you're about to say, "I don't have time" for something.  Tell yourself the truth:  either it's not a priority and you're guarding your time for some good reason, or you simply aren't willing to choose to spend your time on it.

We do it all the time.  I didn't have time to go to church.  I didn't get up in time for Sunday School.  I don't have time to read my Bible.  I don't have time to call and check on my friend.  I don't have time to have an uninterrupted conversation with my husband.......

And on and on and on....

When in reality, we had time to go to the movies, we had time to shop at the mall, we had time to play a few softball games, we had time to take a Sunday afternoon nap, we had time to catch up on everybody on Facebook, we had time to lean in for that juiciest bit of gossip, we had time to go to a couple of birthday parties - all things that normal people do.......  Are these things really that important to us?  Are they really that important to me?

I know you all know this, but let me remind you of this simple concept.  There has never been a time where I have turned off the television to spend time in His Word or in prayer that I have regretted it.  As painful as this is for me to say, because I love my sleep, there has never been a time when I have gotten up a few minutes early to spend time with God where I have wished I had stayed in bed longer.

I have to be more intentional about how I spend my time.  Truthfully, it's not my time anyway, it's God's time.  He's just letting me use it.  We don't have all the time in the world, but we have just enough time to accomplish what God wants us to.

God, you give me the gift of 24 hours seven times a week and I shudder to think how little of it is spent honoring You.  Lord, I ask you for wisdom in discerning how best to spend the time you give me each day.  I truly want to walk in step with you, but sometimes my flesh is weak.  God renew a spirit of intentionality within my heart today and sharpen my spiritual ears for the "I don't have time" lie and help me to fight back with the truth of 2 Peter 1:3. 





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4 comments:

  1. I just had to share the greatest news a mother could have...Hunter was saved last night at VBS!! God is GOOD, ALL the time!!
    Your post today was fantastic as always and I look forward to the next one...
    Jimmilyn

    ReplyDelete
  2. Congratulations! As a mom, next to my kids being born physically, the day McKayla was saved was one of the best days of my life. Way to go Hunter!!!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hi RPDOTK! This past Godsword is very special to me, so it has been a joy to commit it and its reference to my memory.

    That verse enabled me to help my daughter, while at the same time helping myself, when I didn't even realize I needed it. My youngest, who at the time was 5 or 6, is a bright and beautiful girl, with a heart overflowing with love for people. With all this said, though, she used to talk terribly about herself. "I'm stupid. I'm ugly. No one likes me." Not just once, but repeatedly. Hearing her say these things about her precious self broke my heart. I didn't know why she said them, how to make her understand that they weren't true, or how to make her stop. I tried several tactics. The explanation that worked revolved around this scripture. I explained that the Bible tells us that our words (our tongues) speak power: the power of life or death. Why choose to speak "death" over yourself or a situation, when God wants "life" for us as His children? This explanation broke through to her and now we use the basis of this verse to hold each other accountable for how we talk out loud about ourselves and how we talk about others. We don't do it perfectly, but we are making strides in trying to master our tongues, acknowledging the power they have.

    Here's my Godsword from Proverbs 18:21 -
    "The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat of its fruit."

    ReplyDelete
  4. Amy- your words enlighten me- never have I thought that 'my time' was really 'God's time'--how dense could one be??? I am a very slow learner; and will try to focus on that one truism this week. thankyou and GodBless. pt

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