January 5, 2018

Spend Time Wisely

Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. – Psalm 90:12

We think we’ve got all the time in the world, don’t we? That little cliché rests deep in our hearts. We’re certain we can procrastinate, put off, wait another day for whatever it is we know we should do.

Then one day, sometimes without warning, everything changes. Sudden death, illness, divorce, job loss. The list could go on and on. But there is one thing they all have in common: You and the life you imagined have changed forever.

Have you ever known someone who retired and then, within just a few months, was dead? All their life they’d dreamed about retirement. They were going to sleep late, lounge in the recliner, watch endless TV. It was going to be the perfect life. They just never expected death to come so quickly.

Or what about the man who worked hard year after year so that one day he could retire and travel tirelessly with his wife? It was going to be the perfect life. Except that in his relentless pursuit of the future, he put off medical checkups in the present. By the time the doctor found the cancer, it has spread. Stage IV, they called it. He won’t live long enough to take all those trips he postponed.

We tell ourselves we’ll play with our kids or grandkids “one day.” We promise to call, to write, to visit “one day.” We’re going to volunteer at the food pantry “one day.” We’re going to read the Bible all the way through “one day.” Do you see a pattern here?

None of us are promised anything beyond this moment. Yet we live our lives as though we’ve got forever to get around to doing what we’d always intended to do. Why is that?

We are a people who like to procrastinate. We settle down into our comfortable lives of today and dream about a tomorrow that may never come. We put off living until it’s too late. Then we look back and wonder what took us so long to realize what really mattered.

People matter. Giving matters. Helping others without expectation of anything in return matters. Sitting there watching mindless television doesn’t really matter. Playing video games doesn’t really matter.

We’ve got our lives so messed up sometimes. We neglect what energizes us – time with God, sleep, giving back – and focus on what drains us – gossip, drinking, gadgets.

It’s not that zoning out in front of the TV is all bad. Nor is playing video games or any number of other escapist activities. It’s when those things consume us to the point that we neglect what matters most that we need to step back and remember how fleeting life really can be.

Each of us has the same number of hours each day. How are you spending yours? Are you moving forward, giving back, spending quality time with those you love? Or are you turned within, just trying to get through the days while you wait for a perfect tomorrow?

Don’t wait. Take that trip. Play with your kids. Serve others for Christ. We don’t know how long our journey home will take so make every day count.

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Don’t Be Afraid To Follow His Call

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you. -- Psalm 32:8

The woman agonized over her decision. I tried to be helpful and patient. She sought her mother’s advice. She stood back and gazed at the old wood paintings. After about 20 minutes -- literally -- she finally made her selection. As she walked toward the cashier, I heard her questioning her choice.

I felt sorry for her. I did. How horrible it must be to agonize over something so simple as choosing either a blue fish or an orange fish on an outdoor painting for a friend. She probably second guessed herself for hours. And, really, it wasn’t that important. I can’t imagine how she manages to make life-changing decisions.

Or maybe I can. A dear friend has been agonizing over one of those for almost three months. She’s finally decided but she’s having a hard time letting go. I understand. Leaving a job you like for something more satisfying is a risk. One place is comfortable because you know it and you know what to expect. The other is scary because it’s new.

We’re all about comfortable, aren’t we? Our Sunday school class has been studying John Ortberg’s book, If You Want To Walk On Water, You’ve Got To Get Out of the Boat. This is one of the topics he discusses. We get so comfortable that it’s easy just to stay right in the boat. Then we end up missing so many blessings because we never trusted God enough to follow His call.

Indecision is all about fear. Procrastination is all about fear. Busyness is all about fear. We don’t want to make a decision, a choice, to leave our comfortable place because we’re afraid that walking on water might not be all we thought it would be. But we’ll never know unless we try.

And, sometimes, fail. We don’t want to fail. Nobody does. But everybody fails at some point. Some of us manage to do it spectacularly. Others fail slowly by bits and pieces. But we all fail at something.

The key then is to learn and grow from the experience. God promises to use it if we’ll let Him. Then we can gather ourselves together and try again -- only this time with the lessons that we’ve learned. That’s the difference between those who succeed and those who don’t. Those who succeed learn from their failures. Those who don’t end up letting their failures define their entire lives.

Don’t keep waiting for a certainty that will never come. Nothing is guaranteed in this life except that God will be with you through the journey. So take His hand and take a chance. Get out of the boat and follow His calling on your life.