“For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven. A time to be born and a time to die. A time to plant and a time to harvest. A time to kill and a time to heal. A time to tear down and a time to build up. A time to cry and a time to laugh. A time to grieve and a time to dance. A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones. A time to embrace and a time to turn away. A time to search and a time to quit searching. A time to keep and a time to throw away. A time to tear and a time to mend. A time to be quiet and a time to speak. A time to love and a time to hate. A time for war and a time for peace.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 NLT)
In bidding 2025 farewell I’d like to continue a few thoughts from the last few days but also emphasize that time is a gift to be invested, not to be wasted.
When the Lord chooses us for salvation, He chooses us to give a new priority to the use of the time we have from that point forward. We don’t have any way of knowing if that will be one minute or 100 years, we only know our life belongs to Him to do with us as He chooses. Obviously, not everyone who professes faith in Jesus understands that from the outset. It takes time to learn things like that and many turn back or turn away before they learn what a relationship with the Lord is really all about.
Will they go to heaven if they turn away or turn back? What concern is that to you or me? That’s between them and the Lord alone. It’s His call, not ours. We become like the laborers who worked all day and became jealous of the ones who worked only an hour yet were paid the same as us. Our only concern needs to be to give a full day’s work for a full day’s pay. That’s where time comes in.
My sense is there were those who were hired in the last hour who actually put in more effort and did more work in their one hour than some did in eight hours (see Matthew 20:1-16). Additionally, it’s not only what we do or how much we accomplish, but the attitude with which we work that pleases and honors the Lord. The more time we waste worrying about what everyone else is doing, the less effective we’re going to be in the work we do.
I think of the elder brother who never left home in the story of the prodigal son in Luke 15 that we looked at yesterday. Realizing relationship is the issue, not sonship, can we agree the son who stayed at home was just as lost as the one who ran away? Yet, there’s no indication in the story that the son who stayed at home ever desired a relationship with his father. What’s my point?
Simply this, both the brothers put in their time while growing up, but the younger brother ran away and left his older brother to labor for the father. They both put in their “time,” one at home and one in a far country, but neither saw what they were doing as a benefit to the father, only what they could or should get out of their service for themselves.
Everything the father owned was for the benefit of his sons, but neither took advantage of his generosity until the prodigal returned home. As a blood-bought child of God, are you taking advantage of your heavenly Father’s wealth that He has made available to you in and through His holy Son, the Lord Jesus? Are you harnessing your privilege to speak with Him often, training your spirit to hear His voice and obey His directives?
Are you investing the time you’ve been given to deepen your relationship with your heavenly Father? If not, why are you taking up space on this planet? He’s the reason you’re here, so, unless you’re using your time to pursue a relationship with Jesus, you’re treading water at best, and drowning at worst.
Food for thought.
Blessings, Ed 😊
Walking With Jesus 