There is a season and a time for everything. We read this wisdom and are reminded of its universal truthfulness. We also know that time is limited. We know that for each of us our days on earth are numbered. Time is limited.

I love the various sayings I have heard over the years regarding “time.” Like this one from Sir Walter Scott, “When you kill time, remember that it has no resurrection.” Or, one credited to Benjamin Franklin, “Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time, for that’s the stuff life is made of.” We read in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, “Be careful then how you live, not as unwise people but as wise, making the most of the time…” (5:15). Time on this earth: a precious divine gift with limited “shelf life.”

We know that time is limited, yet do we use this most precious of gifts wisely? Really, do you? Do you consider how each day is spent; are you intentionally aware of it? You know the time spent commuting, the time spent standing in line for a cup of coffee, or the time the kids spend on the X-Box rather than reading or doing homework or just playing outside with others. There is the time spent in meetings or listening to the radio or reading the paper. If we agree that time is limited, then how do we go about spending that time? How do we as parents help our children understand the priceless value of time that cannot be earned nor gained back?

If we knew that we would each be given X number of dollars for the living of our lives, and that when that money was spent there would be no more, none, nada – nor any “safety nets” into which we could fall having spent it all or have the ability to add to the original amount – I suspect that we would be very careful indeed and thoughtful as to how we spend each penny. I also imagine that it would be a top priority for us as parents to teach this discipline to our children.

Time is like that. From birth our time is limited; each of us is given a certain amount of time for the living of our lives. We do not know the amount of that time, but we do know time is limited. There is a limited time to learn, a limited time to laugh and to help to resolve problems that benefit us and others, a limited time to say thank you for a kind deed, and so on.

We also know the time we have with loved ones in the course of any given day is even more strictly limited. Should we not be even more conscious of that time? Take it one more level: the time you have with a particular loved one. That time is even more limited, yet how often we come home from a day’s work only to seclude ourselves in the world of television or the internet. This is not to say that watching TV or surfing the wonders of the Net is wasted time. The question is are you conscious of how you spend the limited time you have? Or do you let time slip away? Once it is gone…

Interestingly, the quote from Paul I referenced above continues by talking about how to spend our time. It speaks of not being foolish but understanding “what the will of the Lord is.” It speaks of being filled with God’s Spirit as we worship, giving thanks for our many blessings in the name of Christ. It speaks of loving one’s spouse as Christ loved the church. It speaks of children loving parents and parents loving and caring for their children. All these things take time spent well – in relationship.

Paul then writes, “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power.” Here is the linchpin. In our everyday demands Scripture gives us the answer as to how we are able to spend it well: we draw our strength from God, not from ourselves. We pray that God will guide us in our sensitivity to how our time is spent. We pray that God will help us to spend our time in a manner reflective of God’s mercy and compassion and love.

Through the power of God’s Spirit at work within us – brought to mind through prayer (time spent well!) – we come to understand better the limits of time and to use it well.

Pastor Randy