The Be’s of Sainthood

When using the term sainthood, I am simply referring to those attending a local church. I am speaking of the congregants, the people who make up the crowd.

In observation through the years, it appears to me that there are a number of possible stages that saints will live in, or pass through. There are some roles that we are likely to fill as saints.

Be Fed

The first of these is to be fed. When in this role saints participate in the church in order to be personally fed. She attends for the preacher to feed me, to talk to me, to minister to me. This is clearly a phase of sainthood that is self-focused. The saint is thinking: “I need a blessing, a healing, encouragement or inspiration. I’ve come to get what God has for me today.”

This is certainly a common stage of sainthood, and a necessary one. All people need to grow in Christ. All folks have needs to be met by Jesus. Even those who seem to have all things in order in their lives, those who have great marriages, wonderful careers, and excellent health still need Jesus. Jesus is the only one who can cleanse mankind from sin. Thus, all men must visit the phase of sainthood known as being fed.

However, at some point in our Christian growth, maturity dictates that we are no longer solely dependent on others to feed us. We become capable of feeding ourselves. Saints can, and should have their own feeding times. Maturing saints are to have personal times of prayer, reading, study and meditation. As I grow in this devotion, the congregation plays a different role in my life. Sure, I’ll still enjoy and need fresh manna from the pulpit, but I’m not depending on that to survive. I’ve been eating on my own.

The role of church leadership for this group is to make sure that they are being fed. Leadership must guarantee that proper spiritual meals are being prepared. That all food groups are being presented and that the meals are nutritious and filled with vitamins. 

Be a Feeder

With proper exhortation and motivation, saints recognize that their role as Christians is not only for their own personal growth. Church participation is not just about me. While maturing, saints begin to look beyond self and toward others. Thus, he participates in church so that he can serve others. No longer simply being fed, but now becoming one of the feeders. He is in the congregation to see someone else be blessed, be healed, or be encouraged.

Being a feeder may take place while serving in organized leadership (i.e. Sunday School teacher) but it doesn’t need to. The attitude to serve others is not dependent on position. This is an attitude. Nehemiah wrote, “Remember be, my God, for good, according to all that I have done for this people.” A feeder is focused on doing something for others.

The role of church leadership toward people in this stage is to create an environment that encourages them to it. Further, leadership needs to release saints to fulfill their personal ministry, and create systems and programs that train them on effective fulfillment of the same.

Be Frustrated

When a church doesn’t feed those who need to be fed, or it doesn’t facilitate those ready to be feeders, saints will be frustrated. Frustration is that feeling of dissatisfaction when your expectations are not being realized. Rueben was frustrated when he went back to the pit to remove his brother Joseph, but found that he was missing. Unable to realize his plans, he tore his clothes in anguish and frustration (Gen 37:29 NLT).

A frustrated saint is one who has a desire to fulfill their place in the congregation, however that opportunity is not afforded them. A saint may genuinely need to be fed from the Word of God in order to face a life circumstance. But if the message is not shared in a manner understandable, or applicable, then that person leaves without having found substance for their circumstance. Or possibly, a saint has talents that would benefit the local church and the Kingdom of God, but the leadership does not offer means for that talent to be used, or released. In either case, unmet expectations will lead to frustration.

Church leadership needs to recognize that frustration is not rebellion, or a bad attitude. Frustration is simply the result of folks who have higher expectations of the congregation. And since we are in the business of propagating the Kingdom of God, higher expectations are a means to improve the church’s impact in this world. Thus, leadership can be on the lookout for saints who may be falling prey to frustration, and create an atmosphere and a means for folks to share their concerns. Thus allowing the church to recognize valid concerns, and improve its ministry accordingly.

Typically, folks won’t endure long in a state of frustration. They’ll either be fed, be a feeder, or they’ll be finished.

Be Finished

In modern culture, folks not being fed, or feeding others will not remain long in a frustrating atmosphere. They are too accustomed to finding other options, and other options are usually available. If there seems no end to the frustration, folks will find another church that provides the ministry they need, or assume that all churches minister the same and quit altogether. Since we’d prefer they stay, the church must constantly evaluate its ability to feed those who need it, to develop saints into feeders, and to provide means for them to use this skill.

A Vehicle for Progress

I love my bike. I’m an avid cyclist and I thoroughly enjoy the time I spend involved in the sport. For me, the opportunity to experience the outdoors, its scenery and air, are a wonderful way to unload concerns. I look forward to the physical investment in cycling. Over the past few years I’ve logged over 9,000 miles on that bike. It’s a great form of exercise that I intend to maintain for the rest of my life.

But bikes are more than sporting gear. They are vehicles for progress. They are modes of transportation. One can use a bike to get from point A to point B. In fact, in most places around the world, that’s exactly how bicycles are used; for progress.

Part of my venture into cycling has been to understand that the best bike to ride is the one that fits you best. Sure, there are different bikes for different styles of riding. But the biggest revelation to the cycling newcomer is that there are different sizes of frames for different sizes of people. Far beyond the ‘off the rack’ bike of the typical department store, specialized bike shops offer numerous sizes of bikes to very closely fit the individual rider. In fact, those with plenty of money, and the desire to spend it, can be measured and uniquely fit for a custom-made bike. The reach to the bars, the angle of the fork, the stand-over height; every detail is created exactly for that owner.

Why?

Because cyclists know that the most successful cyclist is the one who rides a bike best fit for him. Cycling comfort and achievement is directly proportional to riding a bike that fits the rider. Even the most talented, able or gifted athlete will not meet her full potential as a cyclist if she is not correctly fitted to her bike. The rider will not progress as far or as fast if riding a bike that doesn’t fit his frame. The success of the rider is connected to the fit of the bike.

Organizations are also tools for progress. They exist to take their constituents from point A to point B. Assuming that all the participants know where point B is, they still can not be effective in reaching their destination if their organization does not fit them properly. The most effective group, the one that readily and often meets its goals and gets to its destination, is the one whose organization fits its size.

A transportation company that is just getting started with two small client contracts doesn’t need a fleet of 25 trucks and a logistics program to service thousands of monthly deliveries. That level of organization wouldn’t fit the size of the business. Likewise, a food service company serving a 2,000 bed hospital will not be successful with two residential grade ovens and three employees. This business is much too big for that scale of organization.

Here’s the bottom line. Organization is distinct from the business just as the bicycle is distinct from the rider. Organizations, like bicycles are merely vehicles for progress. If a business, or a group, or a church, is going to continue to operate successfully, it must continue to allow its organization to grow accordingly. While the business, church or group might be a wonderful, healthy, even God-ordained entity, it will not achieve its greatest success unless it is correctly fit to the proper organizational structure. The success of the business is connected to the fit of the organization. Thus, businesses must be willing to reorganize as the scale of business or ministry demands.

Lessons from Mr. Gore

On a typical afternoon, two typical teens walked along a typical sidewalk in a typical town. Typically, they talked of things on the minds of teens. During their conversation, Bobby, age seventeen, began to speak of particular matters going on in his life. Things he was thinking, things he was saying, and things he was doing. As the slightly younger Jesse listened to Bobby, his heart was quickened. He realized that Bobby had sin in his life. Quite candidly Jesse told Bobby that he needed to remedy his sin situation. The plain truth of Jesse’s words brought conviction upon Bobby. In response, he suggested that they pay a visit to Mr. Gore. Even though Jesse didn’t know Mr. Gore, he agreed to go along.
 
Arriving at Mr. Gore’s home, they walked onto the porch and knocked on the door. Mr. Gore greeted them kindly and invited them inside. In no time, Bobby was explaining his predicament to this godly man. Then, as if knowing the answer but needing encouragement, Bobby asked if they could pray, right there in Mr. Gore’s living room. Mr. Gore was happy to oblige the two teens.

As they entered into prayer, Jesse was somewhat surprised to hear the others praying out loud, as if in conversation with other men. Jesse had never witnessed this type of prayer. However, he decided to join in this fervent effort. As they proceeded, the Spirit of the Lord entered into that home. Before long, tears were rolling down the faces of all three seekers. Jesse and Bobby spent time weeping in deep repentance. After some time Mr. Gore approached Jesse and laid his hands on him in special prayer. Within moments, Jesse was baptized with the gift of the Holy Ghost! A few minutes later, Mr. Gore and Jesse united in prayer for Bobby. As the two laid their hands on Bobby, he too received the gift of the Holy Ghost. Before the prayer meeting came to a close, passersby heard the prayers and entered into the house to join in the blessing. In no time, the living room was filled with hungry hearts. That afternoon was marked by a mighty move of the Lord upon Mr. Gore, Bobby, Jesse and all those who joined them in prayer.

I was privileged to hear this testimony from the one who experienced it. A gathering of young ministers sat reverently, gladly receiving each comment the preacher shared. Though many years removed from that prayer meeting, its effects still reverberated through the speaker’s message. Rev. Jesse Williams was impacted long ago by a man who was willing to open his home for prayer. A man named Mr. Gore. On that typical day, two typical teenaged boys were forever changed by an authentic move of God.

As those who are interested in youth, more and more I am concerned with the challenge of reaching today’s teens. When one considers all of the opportunities and pleasantries that clamor for the attention of youth, it is easy to feel overwhelmed and to get discouraged. How can the church get the attention of this generation? How can we persuade young adults to grant us some of their time? We can’t compete with the technology of Silicon Valley. We don’t have the financial resources of Wall Street. Our retreat announcements and rally flyers cannot contend with the fancy flair of Madison Avenue. We have neither the budgets nor the staff to offer comparable programs to those of the public schools and community centers. Hollywood’s entertainment machine cranks out material at an ever-increasing pace, far faster than we can create and implement new programs. Now, to make matters even more challenging, it appears that many characteristics of a United Pentecostal Church are no longer unique. We are not the only church in town offering exuberant, contemporary worship. It is not the only church in the area with an active youth program. Ours is not the only pastor who delivers his sermons in a passionate, charismatic style. Other churches are offering multimedia presentations, missions experiences, youth choirs and summer camps. In the midst of so much activity, how will our youth programs stand apart?

I believe that three low-tech, low-budget, yet legitimate lessons can be learned from Mr. Gore. These lessons can allow our youth ministries to make a profound impact in the lives of youth. On a typical day in Mr. Gore’s life, he made himself available, he expressed a heartfelt interest, and he fostered a move of God. Applying these characteristics will cause our programs not only to rise above the crowd, but also to make a victorious difference.

Mr. Gore allowed his day to be interrupted. When two teenagers knocked on his door, he was not too busy to give them his attention. Before he lectured the young men, or gave them his opinion, he took the time to listen. His schedule of duties and responsibilities was not more important than the individuals who had come to his home. Mr. Gore had a vision of the gospel that was more than a distant view of a lost world. He had not fallen prey to the belief that evangelism was only a grand and extravagant affair. He knew that God not only touches people in crusades and revivals, but He also changes lives one on one. So rather than excuse himself from the largess of global evangelism, he chose to affect a lost soul personally. He made himself available.

Mr. Gore was not put-off by young people coming to his home. What was it that caused Bobby to consider going to Mr. Gore’s residence? Why did Bobby and Jesse feel free to knock on his door? Likely it was more than an announcement that proclaimed Mr. Gore’s interest in youth. It was probably more than a sign on his door welcoming teens to approach. Something had been done on Bobby’s behalf that made him realize Mr. Gore was interested in young people. Maybe it was the time he spent chaperoning youth events. Possibly he had taken time off work to be a counselor at Bobby’s youth camp. Maybe he was a Sunday School teacher that showed his burden well beyond Noon on Sunday. It could be that Mr. Gore often prayed around the church altar, laying a hand on the shoulder of struggling teens, encouraging them in the Lord. Whatever the specific action may have been, Mr. Gore expressed clearly and visibly that he was interested in young people.

It was typical to pray in Mr. Gore’s home. Somehow people in the neighborhood knew that he was comfortable with prayer. This man cultivated his reputation as a man of prayer. Prayer was not only practiced in his church, it was a part of his home life. His was not the type of prayer that one fell asleep uttering. His was the kind of prayer that summoned a move of God. Prayer that was genuine and desirous. When he sought the Lord, he meant business. He expected a move of God’s Spirit. It did not matter what other events were taking place, when there was a move of God, people would take notice. Folks would hear from the street and desire to join in. Mr. Gore expected and cultivated a real move of God.

While it may be unlikely that one will be able to finance his youth program like Wall Street, market events like Madison Avenue, or use the very latest technology of Silicon Valley, he can learn and apply the lessons lived by Mr. Gore. Each one can make himself available to youth, show an interest in their lives, and foster an authentic move of God. Certainly there are many more typical teens like Jesse and Bobby in our neighborhoods. The question is, will I be a Mr. Gore?

Iron Sharpens Iron

In order for a movement to be strong, there needs to be room for disagreement. In order for a movement to remain balanced, there should be room for those on both ends of the scale. In order to facilitate challenging and thoughtful discussion, participants must live exclusively by the lesson taught in Matthew 18:15-17. (As far as I can see, this passage applies to ministers as well as saints) Furthermore, until we have processes and formats for men to meet face to face, and discuss their opposing opinions in a spirit of brotherhood, the internet will be filled with divergent opinions that are not brought under the scrutiny of peer review.

 

Environments that allow discussion of views among all ministers will not only allow for elders to propagate foundational doctrines and concepts to younger generations, but will also validate the thoughts and reasoning’s of young men with the elders. Such environments will allow younger men to feel recognized. Too often, when we seek comments, we want only the elders to participate; but when we want offerings, we want everyone’s participation. This is not to say that young men’s ideas or insights should always be followed, however a significant means for them to feel valued in the process, and true participants in the movement, is to create a venue whereby they can be heard.   

 

Sometimes My Preaching Stinks

Am I the only one who thinks this way from time to time? Am I the only one who leaves a Sunday service feeling like I have just dropped the ball in extravagant fashion? Are there others who have finished a service and wondered how such a good thought could wind up coming out so pitifully? Somehow, I don’t think that feelings like these are unique to my experience.

In the course of ministry, there are a variety of outcomes to our efforts. Whether preaching, teaching, singing, or simply testifying, sometimes we see wonderful results, and other times, it seems as if our efforts were worthless. Over time, this variety of outcomes can be confusing.

Why does this happen? What is going on? Why is it that I can preach in one service and the “house comes down,” and then preach the same thing another time, in a different setting, and the people fall asleep while I’m preaching?

I clearly recall such a situation. One Friday evening I was to preach a Statewide Youth Rally. I followed my usual routine of prayer and preparation for the service. Then I conscientiously delivered what I felt to be God’s word for that service. In the end, the youth in attendance responded genuinely and wonderfully to the Word and Spirit of the Lord. We had great church.

Exactly one week later, I was to preach the exact same kind of meeting in a different state. In prayer and preparation, I felt to preach the exact same message as the week prior. In the same kind of meeting, to the same kind of audience, I delivered the same Bible-based message that had brought such genuine response the previous week. But this time around, the audience just stared at me when I made the altar appeal. As I struggled to get the youth to respond to the Lord and His Word, they were very reluctant. In the end, they did pray, but it was not a genuine, heartfelt response. They seemed to pray out of habit and respect for tradition.

Immediately, the questions began in my mind. What happened? Is there something wrong with me? Is there something wrong with the people? Was there something about the situation that I did not learn in prayer? Is there something else that I should have done? These are real questions and feelings that ministers face.

As a preacher, I recognize two particular facets of sermon preparation and presentation that are of interest. The first deals with whether or not I, as the preacher, feel like I have “heard from God” for the service. Preachers realize that we can preach anything from the Bible and it is the Word of God, but I am speaking about the preacher’s desire to preach from the specific portion of Scripture that would be the Will of God for that specific service. The second aspect is in regard to the sermon presentation. It has to do with whether or not the congregation responds as if the sermon is indeed a Word from God. Do they willingly and desirously react to the sermon’s call to action? Or do they blankly stare as if unaware of the sermon’s point? The combinations of these two aspects create four possible settings.

1. I don’t feel like I have heard from God, and the congregation responds like they agree with my feelings.

2. I don’t feel like I have heard from God, but the church responds wholeheartedly anyway.

3. I feel like I have heard from God, but the audience doesn’t respond in kind.

And finally,

4. I feel like I have heard from God, and the congregation responds in agreement with my feelings.

Though there are other dimensions of sermon preparation and presentation, I sense that these four scenarios entail the largest percentage of the ministry experience. As such, it would be good to explore each of them and discover the pitfalls and practical responses.

Prosperous Preaching

And the elders of the Jews builded, and they prospered through the prophesying (preaching) of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. And they builded, and finished it, according to the commandment of the God of Israel, and according to the commandment of Cyrus, and Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia.   
Ezra 6:14 (KJV)

Preaching that prospered the people.

I am intrigued by this concept.

How can I do the same?
How can I preach so that it is prosperous to those who hear it?
What can I do to make sure that my preaching is benefiting those in attendance?

I don’t know about others, but I have a goal not to waste anyone’s time with my preaching.

Folks work hard all week and have many obligations on their time. I certainly don’t want them to view time spent listening to my message as time that is wasted.

It seems to me a worthy goal to value other people’s time as much as I would like them to value mine.

Not only do I fear that I might waste their time, but I also fear that I would not connect with them. I’m concerned that somehow, even though I am preaching the truth, and even though I believe I have an understanding to share from the Lord, that yet, I am not able to communicate that understanding in a manner that listeners can receive it. I’ve come to recognize that my knowing their need and knowing the truth is simply not enough to communicate to everybody.

Some folks simply think differently than I do.
Some people have different values than I do.
Some attendees focus on things that I do not.

I fear that these genuine and real differences would hinder me from prosperous preaching.

Maybe this story will better illustrate my point.

“A woman in NYC walked into a bar waving a dollar bill and shouting, “Quiero Cambio.” No one knew what she was saying. One patron tried to calm her down, but in her excitement she poked him in the face. The police were called, and she was sent to Bellevue hospital, where she was sedated and spent the next few days.

When a Spanish-speaking social worker arrived, she huddled with the patient, and seconds later raced out the door to her car and drove furiously to the Bronx.

There, in an old tenement building, she found three children who had died of dehydration. Their mother was in the bar trying to get change to call a doctor. The children died because no one spoke their language.”  (Dan Reeve, Shepherding the Poor, Beacon. May/June 2002)

When attempting prosperous preaching, that’s the lady that I’m concerned about.

Her need was genuine. In fact, she knew she had a need and she even knew what that need was.

Her desire was authentic. She left her house on her own. Of her own accord she ventured out looking for help. Her real desire had driven her to action.

Her need could have been supplied. Her need was not unrealistic. Her answer was readily available, and easy to supply.

Yet, desire, need, nor a ready-answer was enough to guarantee her satisfaction. What she really needed was someone who spoke her language. What she needed was someone who could communicate with her; someone who could understand her. Unfortunately, she didn’t find what she really needed. And her children perished.

As a preacher, a professed communicator, I am bothered by this story. I know that there are sinners in our world, in our neighborhoods, at our workplaces that are just as genuine, just as needy and just as desperate as this woman. I am convinced that there are people who really would like to find answers to their problems.

And as this Hispanic lady who ventured into the bar, I think about an unbeliever who would wander into a church where I happened to be ministering, and I fear that she would find similar circumstance.

I fear that a desperate soul would come to a church searching for relief, and instead find a culture that speaks an entirely different language. God forbid that a person would be crying out for help, and I am totally unable to understand his need.

I pray that people don’t feel so frustrated by their church experience that they lash-out. Not with a fist, but with an attitude that drives them away from the church.

Some might say….

“Well, she’s in the United States now. We speak English here. And if she had learned our language, then everything would have been fine……”

Without getting into all the politics of such a mindset, I wonder if we sometimes subconsciously adopt a similar attitude in the church.

“Hey, if you need salvation, learn to speak the language of the preacher, you’re in a Christian church now. We speak Christianese here.”

“And if you really want help, you’ll learn to understand our vernacular.”

I believe that prosperous preaching addresses people where they are, not from where I am.  Prosperous preaching works hard to understand the language, thoughts, attitudes, & experiences of the one who doesn’t understand Christianity. We’ll not wait for them to understand us to find their answers, rather, we are intent on doing all we can to understand them.

I have spent my entire life in the church.
Pentecostalism is all that I know.
I was raised speaking this language.

As such, it is so easy for me to slip into wording, phrases and concepts in my speaking that readily speaks to saints, but would seem like a foreign language to a sinner. I feel like the more I use this ‘foreign’ language the more likely I am to alienate unbelievers.

Consider:

When leading a service, I encourage and direct the assembly to participate in the worship, but do the words of the choruses connect with all people, or do they more directly relate to saints?

I find it so easy to preach that God delivers from illicit sex & illegal drugs. And while this is true, are these the vices that all sinners are struggling with?

Do I also preach about deliverance from pride, anger, & depression?

I wonder what a sinner thinks when I say that God wants the “backslider” to come home?

What is a backslider? Is that some kind of skateboard trick?

What does the guest think when I address ‘sanctification’?

Sanctification? Is that like pasteurization?

I’ll not run through a list of nitpicking terms, however in sharing these, my intent is to provoke our thoughts concerning preaching.

Is my preaching truly prosperous to the people?

Wouldn’t it be a shame if a desperate person couldn’t relate to our message, could not understand our direction, and rather than hanging around, trying to learn the language, decided instead to go somewhere else, and even accept less truth, simply because it was shared in their own language?

God, help our preaching to be prosperous.

Developing Mission-Minded Youth

I. Introduction

The challenge of leading youth to living a life of purpose centers on the tendency of teens to focus only on the here and now. Too often little or no attention is given to significant matters of the future.

While many have hopes and visions for new cars and next years clothes, many do not give much thought to the things that will matter five, ten or twenty years from now. Thinking about their career, their future spouse, or their involvement in the Kingdom of God is deemed as being too far removed to demand their current efforts.

As such, youth ministry must continually emphasize eternity. While our world centers its desires on the here-and-now, the church resides as the publicist for eternity. The heart of youth ministry is to broadcast that promise.

Preaching, teaching, and programming should be designed to clearly and continually remind students that what they do today has an impact upon their lives tomorrow. Today matters. Youth will not make it to heaven on accident. Therefore they must be compelled to live their lives on purpose.

II. Expectation Evaluation
 
• In the mind of the youth leader, what is expected of youth?
• What are the goals for them?
• What are they envisioned accomplishing ten years from now?
• In planning weekly meetings and functions, what should be accomplished?
• How far into the future are we looking? 

Consider the value of a goal.

Having worked with youth, how many teens achieve the goals that have been set before them? Often times, when goals are set, there is a rare individual or two who surpass the goal. Likewise there are a small number who achieve the goal. Following that, there are increasing numbers of youth that fall further and further short of the appraised goal. (Use fundraising example)

What can this phenomenon mean spiritually?

For too long the highest expectation of youth has been their salvation. The highest goal has been for them to make Heaven their eternal home. While certainly wanting to see this happen, should it really be the highest goal? Could it be that there is more to the Kingdom of God than finding salvation? Could it be that the Lord has a plan of ministry for every child of God? Salvation is an entrance into the Kingdom of God. Having entered into His Kingdom, He then has a plan for each life to fulfill.

If the highest goal has been for teens to find salvation, then what happens to those who typically fall short of the goal? They never obtain salvation. Consider then the benefit of making ministry in the Kingdom the highest goal. If this were the case, then those who do not achieve the goal, having fallen short of ministry, are still likely to have found salvation. In effect, raising the goal has increased the percentage of youth that make it to heaven. It is time to raise the goal.

I Don’t Have the Time

How many times have we been guilty of saying, “I don’t have the time” when asked to do something for the Kingdom of God? Usually we’re sincere, but I wonder if it’s always factual? Is it true that I simply have too many things scheduled? Or, is it truer that I have placed other things in a greater priority and therefore do not have the time to do more for God? Could it be that this statement, “I don’t have the time”, has become an easy excuse not to commit to the service of the Lord? Who’s going to challenge me on the statement? Who is going to follow me around all day to validate my schedule? Only the individual genuinely knows how busy he is. In Scripture, we are challenged to make the most of every opportunity (Eph 5:16 NIV). To find the truth, self-examination is the only course.

When considering the subject of time, it is good to remember that God established and respects time (Gen 1:14, Eccl 3:1). In fact, the Scripture has plenty to say about time. There are over seven hundred references to time in the King James Version and nearly one thousand references in the New International Version. Just under one hundred times “hour” is referenced: fifteen in Daniel and Revelation, eleven in Acts, and sixty-seven in the Gospels. Seeing that two-thirds of the New Testament references to ‘hour’ are in the Gospels, evidently, Jesus was concerned about the time. We should be too.

 

In addition to Paul’s challenge to make the most of every opportunity, Solomon wrote that a wise man discerns both time and judgment (Eccl 8:5, KJV). A wise man knows the appropriate time, and places great value upon his time. He does this because he recognizes that the exact amount of time he has on this Earth is unknown. Job poses these questions: Is there not an appointed time to man upon earth? are not his days also like the days of an hireling? (Job 7:1, KJV). To fully grasp the meaning, it’s best to understand the work of a hireling. A hireling is employed until the job is complete, not necessarily for a specific amount of time; much like we would hire a contractor today. We hire him to put on a roof, mow the lawn, or install carpeting, regardless of how long the job takes. Likewise, according to Job, our very lives are given as an amount of time to “get the job done”, not as a definite number of years. Knowing this begs the question: what is the job that I am to complete? Rick Warren posits that “You have just enough time to do God’s will.” God’s will is both general and specific. Not everyone is directed to be a Sunday School teacher, however all are called to be baptized in Jesus’ name. While each individual’s God-ordained path is different, the general tasks are the same. The primary task of every man is to establish his eternal destination. Thus, all men are given enough time to choose between Heaven and Hell. Time must be used wisely.

 

When considering personal time management, it’s good to view time in a possessive sense. In Matthew 26:18 (KJV), Jesus said, “My time is at hand; I will keep the Passover at thy house with my disciples.” He spoke of time as being in His possession; He said my time. He was aware of a specific point in time that was of particular importance to Him. He had a certain assignment, a specific time to begin the project, and an allotted amount of time to get the job finished. It was His time. When we think of time in this fashion, it signifies accepting our responsibility for personal management of that time.

 

Having accepted the value of time and my responsibility to manage it, an initial question to ask is, “How am I using my time?” With the given amount of time that I have, what tasks get the most of it? It has been said that you can tell a man’s beliefs by how he spends his money and his time. If that’s the case, in what do I believe?

 

Jesus rebuked men because they could predict the weather tomorrow, but they couldn’t notice the value of His being with them on the Earth (Luke 12:56, KJV). Paul criticized the Athenians because they spent their time talking only about news events (Acts 17:21, KJV). In both cases, the point is being made that men were not using their time wisely. How much time do we spend talking about “some new thing”? There always seems to be some new tidbit of gossip, some new fashion statement, or a hot technological item. If we are not careful, we too could spend all of our time simply discussing new things.  Paul commanded the Romans to wake up (Romans 13:11, KJV). In terms of spiritual endeavors, they were not at all in tune with the times. Evidently the human capacity to get priorities out of order is not a new one. Time is a personal commodity, therefore the things that matter throughout eternity had better get the most of our time.

 

In order to accomplish this, there are some basic principles that work very effectively to keep us on track. The first is simply to prioritize according to eternity. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you (Mat 6:33, KJV). Our daily activities need to be placed in order of importance based on God’s word and prayer. We look at our schedules and determine what is going to matter for eternity. When the day is done, how much have I accomplished to further the Kingdom of God?

 

The second principle is to schedule my time according to Godly priorities. It’s basic, yet often overlooked. Scheduling is a Biblical concept. We find the Lord often speaking of various appointments that he set and kept (Exo 9:5, Dan 11:29, Hab 2:3, Gal 4:2, Psa 102:13). If God makes and keeps appointments, then undoubtedly we can do the same. Set a schedule and stick to it.   

 

Another basic principle is to budget my time according to reality. How much time should I allow for each activity in my schedule? Important tasks lose out when we do not correctly gauge how long a particular activity will take. Will it take me thirty minutes or one hour to buy groceries? Does it take twenty or thirty minutes to get to church? Throughout Scripture, we notice specific time frames attached to appointments and schedules (Exo 23:15, Sam 13:8, 2 Sam 24:15, Est 9:27). Perhaps Nehemiah sets the best example: And the king said unto me, (the queen also sitting by him,) For how long shall thy journey be? and when wilt thou return? So it pleased the king to send me; and I set him a time (Neh 2:6, KJV). In everyday practice, it’s best to allow more time per event than necessary and end the day with time to spare, rather than to allow too little time, and end up not accomplishing that which we set out to do. It’s best to budget time according to reality.

 

However, as some may already be thinking, there are some things that cannot and will not be scheduled. Birth (Gen 18:14), Sin (Deu 32:35), Blessing (1 Pet 5:6), Death (Gen 38:12), and Trouble (Psa 27:5) are just some of the things noted in Scripture that typically aren’t scheduled exactly. The same is true for certain things in our lives. When we realize and accept the fact that there will be things that we cannot control, then we save ourselves from much frustration. We should do all that we can to redeem our time, and then accept the things that we simply can not control.

 

For many of us, regardless of how well we adhere to these timely principles, we can experience times when we have a real shortage of time. When this happens, remember that God is not limited to time. In 2 Kings chapter twenty, God signaled his answer to Hezekiah by turning time back ten degrees. In Joshua chapter ten, God stopped the sun and the moon so that the armies of Israel would have sufficient time to win their battle. Concerning God’s perspective on time, Peter wrote; But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day (2 Pet 3:8, KJV). God is not limited to time! Further, we are promised “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you” (John 15:7, KJV). Thus, when we are in a bind and have done our part, we can go to the Lord and ask Him to help us to be more efficient and to accomplish all that we need to do for His Kingdom.

 

Time is in our hands. There is so much yet to be accomplished for God in our world. When we keep these two facts in the forefront of our minds, we are compelled to use practical tools to make sure we are using our time wisely. Doing this on a daily basis is definitely preferred to telling Our Savior, “I didn’t have the time”.