Always in a Rush: Part Two

God Gives us Time

Everything we have, including time, comes from the hand of our heavenly Father. Each time we wake up in the morning, God is giving us another day for His service. We go to sleep at night expecting that we’ll hear our alarm clock go off in the morning, and that we’ll be able to carry out the plans we have for the day. But have you ever stopped to notice that our almighty God is giving us a new day? He controls His creation in such a perfect way that the sun rises and a new day dawns[1]- and each time this happens, God is providing us with more time.

Infinite God created time, for His creation has a beginning[2], and He determined the measurements of the earth[3]. Creation is limited by time, and we also know that our time, as humans on this earth, is in God’s hands[4]. We don’t know how many days we have, but we do know this: “When (man) dies he shall carry nothing away; his glory shall not descend after him”[5]. So, if God is giving us limited time and opportunities, how are we using them?

The way we use our time must be founded on what we believe. To quote Philip Ryken: “What we believe shapes the way we live. And the way we live inevitably reveals our fundamental convictions about God, the world that he has made, and our place in it”[6]. God owns us, and we are His creatures, created and placed on Earth to praise and glorify Him. So in everything we do, in the time God graciously grants us, we should seek to honour Him above all else.

Time for Service

Having been saved from sin, we have become “slaves of God”[7]. We are God’s servants, as we belong to Him. In all our planning and actions we are called to serve. Christ is our greatest example in becoming a servant, and we are called to follow Him[8]. Is the way we use our time accurately reflecting our calling to be servants?

At the same time as being servants, we may experience the blessings of being His children, including within the family of faith. And so we are also called to serve one another[9]. How much time or effort do you put in to help others? Are you willing to spend time listening to someone who is struggling, or take the time to mutually encourage others in their walk of faith? God calls us to serve in His church, and to follow Christ’s example in caring for each other.

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[1] Job 38:12

[2] Genesis 1:1

[3] Job 38:5

[4] Psalm 31:15

[5] Psalm 49:16

[6] Philip Ryken, My Father’s World, 2002, p13

[7] Romans 6:22

[8] John 12:26

[9] Galatians 5: 13