Time - A Gift

“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven.” – Ecclesiastes 3:1

Sometimes I look at my day, week, month, and am overwhelmed with all I hope to accomplish.

For most of us, work seems to take up most of the hours in a week.  If only work was really a definite 8-hour day each weekday – it would only use 40 hours each week – which doesn’t seem too bad.  But like most, our time for work actually begins from the moment we get up in the morning, followed by our commute to and from work.  I usually work at least an hour later than my “scheduled time” – many times two or more hours; and then there are those many days I “work through lunch” which takes even more of my hours, days, & weeks.  So I end up looking at possibly 12-13 hour days or an average of 60-hour work weeks.  No wonder I can’t find much extra time in my life! 

I’m also involved in many areas within my church community and organizations which I support.  Looking back, some I can say for sure I was ‘called’ to be involved, others either by interest or support, I continued to spend alot of my time.

At one time, I found myself looking at every aspect of my life as a burden or a chore, and was feeling stressed whenever I approached my next day.  Then one day, while I was reading my daily devotional, I read a quote by Elisabeth Elliot: ‘I don’t have time’ is probably a lie more often than not, covering ‘I don’t want to.’  We have time – twenty-four hours in a day, seven days in a week.  All of us have the same portion.

At first I was taken aback by this, and definitely didn’t agree with her.  Not everyone has the same responsibilities in their ‘twenty-four’ hour day.  How can she make such a general statement?  And does this mean I need to say yes to even more?

But I had to pause – and realize the gift I have been given – the gift of time.  No matter what’s going on in my life, ‘I’ cannot make any more time; I can only receive this gift and be a faithful steward in the use of it.

Of course, demands on our time will differ, but what demands am I responding to?  What is the reason I say “Yes” to requests to help, to serve, to join, and to do ‘whatever?’

If time is truly a gift, I must remember who the ‘giver’ is.  Am I taking the time to wait and to pray, before filling my calendar and my commitments?  Am I truly living my destiny, called by my Master, allowing Him to use me for His purpose?

I needed to prayerfully look at all I was involved in, and ask the Lord what it is that He wants me to do.  While I was taking time to do this, another opportunity actually came up for me to serve in a ministry that was very dear to my heart.  Maybe it was because I was finally waiting on the Lord, but as I wondered whether or not to say yes, I knew the Lord was asking me, ‘why not?’  As I added another commitment to my already busy schedule, I then knew the Lord was also telling me it was time to let go of a few other commitments that I had been involved in for awhile.  “To every thing there is a season . . .”

If I prayerfully take a moment and ask, “Lord, what do You want me to do?” - then, and only then, will there be enough time.  I can depend on it – for everything God wants me to do – there will be time.