Time is an Illusion

"Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?"

Matthew 6:27

 How many of us are worried about the events currently being presented by the news?  How many are worried about health concerns?  How many are worried about the economy?  How many are worried about finances?  How many are just worried?

Let me ask you this, how has all that worrying helped you?  Or has it?

I'm going to be completely and openly honest, I was a worrier.  I worried about everything!  I worried about worrying because of today's verse.  And you know what? I was miserable and my health began to decline. Not only that, my mood turned dark and I began to snap at people and generally just be an irritable porcupine.

That began to change when I heard a sermon on "Time" where the pastor referenced two verses: "You have decided the length of our lives.  You know how many months we will live,    and we are not given a minute longer." - Job 14:3.  It was at that moment that I began to realize that Abba has already decided how long I will dwell on His Earth before being called home. AND there is nothing I can do to add or subtract a single breath.  Each one of us, like it or not, have been allotted our time and purpose on this Earth by Abba.  Therefore, we are to ask Abba: "So teach us to consider how brief our lives are, teach us to count minutes instead of hours or days, so that we might live wisely." - Psalm 90:12

Worry solves nothing, instead it causes damage. Worry is a weapon of the devil to take our eyes and trust off of Abba.  When we learn that He already has ever part of His plan for us working, we can let go of worry and learn to celebrate each moment and share His love with others.

Got Time?

"I don't know if I'll have time to accomplish my goals."  "I'm too old to get involved in ministry."  "I just don't know how God will accomplish anything with me."  These are statements I have heard over my time in ministry.  These are also statements I have made during my time in ministry as well.

The counsel I would give others was "God is the one with the plan for you. He has promised that He WILL complete His plans for you."  While that sounds good, I struggled with stressing about God's plans for my own life.  What if I died before He completed His plans for me?  What if I missed the opportunity for God to make His plans for me to come to fruition?  What if....?

The lesson has been extremely difficult for me to learn because I have the tendency to think, rethink, overthink, and stress from overthinking.  Mainly it's a trust issue that I have struggled with.  But truth be told, God is the one with the plans for me.  God is the one who PROMISED that He WILL complete His plans for me.  God has NEVER broken a single promise yet, and won't start with me.  The enemy, however, likes to whisper doubts in order to get us to distrust God.  When doubts come to mind, I am learning to stop right then and there, and pray asking God to renew my trust in Him and His plans for me. It's an ongoing challenge, but God's the one with the plan and my time on this Earth to accomplish it.

Is it time for you to Rise UP?

But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength.
    They will soar high on wings like eagles.
They will run and not grow weary.
    They will walk and not faint.

Isaiah 40:31 

 

I spent the weekend in some deep reflection and contemplation.  It's good to do that from time to time.  As it so happened, I heard a song by Bruce Springsteen called "My City In Ruins" which is a prayer.  As I listened, I realized that throughout Scripture we are told over and over to RISE UP!  Take a look:

•  When Moses was 80 years old, he had settled into a comfortable anonymous life when God told him it was time for him to RISE UP and fulfill the plan God had for him all along!
• God told Noah to RISE UP and build the Ark.
• God told Gideon to take his tiny army and RISE UP to defeat their enemy.
• After years of being a slave, then imprisoned, Joseph probably felt defeated.  But at the right time, God told Joseph it was time to RISE UP and fulfill God's plan for him to save his family and forgive his brothers.
• When all of Israel was fearful of the giant, Goliath, God told David it was time for him to RISE UP and deal with this terror.
• When Herod was bent of destroying all the Hebrew children so Jesus would not become the King of the Jews, God sent an angel to Joseph and told him to RISE UP and take his family to safety.
• When the ten lepers came to Jesus seeking healing, Jesus told them it was time for them to RISE UP and be healed.
• When Jesus arrived at the tomb of Lazarus, he had already been dead for several days.  Jesus called Lazarus to RISE UP because his life was not over!
• When Peter's mother-in-law was terribly sick with a fever, Jesus reminded her she needed to RISE UP because she had a purpose to fulfill.
• Even after Jesus' death, Peter went back to fishing because he felt like he had abandoned Jesus and maybe, just maybe, he had followed the wrong man.  Jesus came all the way from Heaven to tell Peter to RISE UP because he had to become the foundation of the church.
• Saul had spent his adult life trying to destroy the Christian church.  Jesus has struck him blind.  Ananias had been in prayer when Jesus told him to RISE UP and befriend Saul.  After many YEARS, Jesus told Saul (now Paul) it was time for him to RISE UP and teach the non-Jews about the Gospel!

There have been times when I have felt lost and defeated. I felt as if I had messed up so badly that life, for me, was too far gone. Yet Jesus reminded me that it was time for me to RISE UP because His purpose for my life has not been fulfilled completely.

 

Is it time for you to RISE UP?  Think About That! 

God Will Make It Happen

The smallest family will become a thousand people,
    and the tiniest group will become a mighty nation.
    At the right time, I, the Lord, will make it happen.

Isaiah 60:22 

 

Ever wish God would go ahead and fill you in on His plans for you?  There are times when I do, partly because I can be impatient and partly because I just want to know what to expect.  Then I was asked a question: "Would you want God to tell you not only WHEN you will die but HOW you will die and HOW LONG it will take?"Honestly, THAT is one surprise I would rather encounter when it arrives. 

 

We are bombarded with messages every day telling us to "Just Do It" and "Believe In Yourself" and "YOU Can Do It."  Yet when I think about it, any time I have tried to go my own way and do my own thing because I believed in my and my "skills" to make it happen, disappointment followed, then depression set in, and the dark times came.  But when I am patient (which is a struggle) and let God do HIS job (which can be a test of patience), God makes His plans happen just at the right time EVERY time!

What's The Rush?

And he said, “Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.”

Job 1:21

Believe it or not, I remember being told that computers were going to make like so much easier because we wouldn't have to work so hard and we would have more free time.  And that has turned out to be a lie!  Computers have made work easier and faster, but do we REALLY have more "free time" or do we just rush through life to get to the next task without stopping?  There are those who applaud and reward those who put their nose to the grindstone and work becomes their life while everything else falls by the wayside.

Think about this:  We each are allowed a limited number of sunrises.  We each are allowed a limited number of moments with our loved ones.  We each are allowed a limited number of days to travel this Earth.  So why rush past so many of them?  

Read today's verse again: "I brought nothing into this world and I will take nothing when I leave."  So.....why spend so much time, energy, and effort pursuing what we cannot take with us?  Don't misunderstand me, we are commanded to give our best at work, but we are also commanded to rest and relax as well.  Just food for thought.

Come Sail Away

But [Jesus] often withdrew to the wilderness for prayer.

Luke 5:16 

 

It's tiring being on the go constantly.  It's exhausting when your emotions are poured out continually.  It's almost debilitating when your mind will not slow down.  Why?

 

Sleep becomes elusive or nonexistent.

Energy is depleted because no time is available to restore.

Emotions become numbed or just a constant state of irritation.

And we turn into Zombies.

 

Even when we plan time away....we may plan it, pay for it, and try to take it, but that doesn't not mean others will respect it.  Phone rings.  Text dings. And your heart sinks another notch.  And we wonder why we see so many advertisements for sleep aids (new mattresses you can finance for 5 or more years, pillows that cost a month's salary, endless pills, serums, scents, and sound devices) yet we are still exhausted?

 

Read today's verse again...slowly.  Let the words sink in.  Let the truth of the simple message fill your spirit.  Even JESUS took time away.  And notice the key word: OFTEN!

 

He didn't go to where all the people were when He withdrew.  He didn't fill His time away with a gazillion activities.  He didn't go to expensive resorts where He was waited on hand and foot.  Jesus withdrew to a place where He could spend time without distraction.

 

Who are we to live differently? 

Time? Who's Got Time To Look?

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven

Ecclesiastes 3:1

You all know about my love affair with coffee. Yes, I firmly admit it, I love coffee and drink copious amounts.  But this morning, I was challenged on this by, of all people, the person selling me my 7th cup of coffee.  She said, "How much do you have going on in your life that you need so much coffee?"

And THAT started the thought process.  We consume Monster Drinks, Red Bull, 5-hour Energy and so many other products that give us that boost when we begin to feel run down.  Then we wonder why we also have so many products that help us sleep.  

Why is that?  Is it because we truly HAVE so much we must accomplish in our day that we just cannot get it all done so we can get enough rest before having to get up and do it all over again?

I am convinced that God has given us this entire world to learn from and we spend more time ignoring it.  When a dog, cat, gerbil, pig, cow, goat or any other animal gets tired, what to they do?  They rest!  When they need to get up and go, they move.  But the fact is THEY do what WE should be doing.  We have been given time to do what is NEEDED!  Yet we choose to cram our time so full that the very thing that is NEEDED (rest) gets booted out of the boat.

Then we wonder why we get stressed (for which there are countless pills and elixirs to help) why we feel anxious, depressed, exhausted, and defeated.  Time Management is the key.  For there is a time for EVERY matter under heaven...we just have to decide what matters enough for us to invest our time. 

Flies

Teach us how short our lives really are
    so that we may be wise.

~Psalm 90:12 

 

"I'll get to it tomorrow."  

 

"I'll tell you later."

 

"There's always tomorrow."

 

We've all said or heard these type responses.  We have this idea that we are somehow entitled to tomorrow.  We believe that we will always have more time.  But let's face the cold hard truth.....we aren't guaranteed or entitled to even one more breath!

 

Does that mean we should go all "gloom and doom"? Nope.  Does that mean "full steam ahead" and live as though there is no tomorrow? Nope.  What we should be doing, and this is how God created us, is taking care of each moment.  Do what needs doing.  Say what needs to be said.

 

But guess what?  We are in one of two extremes!  We will either cram our lives so full of things to do that we are constantly frustrated, aggravated, irritated, and exhausted.....OR we do nothing with our lives!  Far too many people I meet and talk with are running so fast that they feel that if they slow down, they're failing everyone else.  Their schedules are so full that they even have to make appointments in the calendar to go to the restroom (yes, they do exist and they are more common than one might think).  Their appointment books are so full that they can't focus on the current moment because their focus is on "the next one."  Trying talking calmly with someone who is constantly looking at their phone or their watch or the clock behind you.  Are they hearing a single thing being said?  Nope.  

 

Then there's the other extreme. The group who have no plan or ambition or goal.  They just go through life waiting to see what happens and doing nothing with their own lives.  Try having a meaningful conversation with someone who isn't interested in doing anything with their lives, much less make any positive changes that would benefit others.  Some would say such people are lazy.  Nope, these people are already dead....they just haven't gotten around to lying down yet.

 

Here's a nugget of wisdom: "Your time on Earth consists of two dates and a dash.  The date you were born and the date you died.  Make the most of the dash."

 

 

What Are You Afraid Of?

Death swallowed by triumphant Life!
Who got the last word, oh, Death?
Oh, Death, who’s afraid of you now?

It was sin that made death so frightening and law-code guilt that gave sin its leverage, its destructive power. But now in a single victorious stroke of Life, all three—sin, guilt, death—are gone, the gift of our Master, Jesus Christ. Thank God!

1 Corinthians 15:55-57 

What scares you?  What is it that keeps you from truly living a life worth remembering?  Did you know that there are far too many people who are AFRAID to live?

• Could it be we fear what others will think or say?  Why? This is the life God gave YOU!  God gave THEM a life of their own.  We are extremely bad about letting someone else live our lives for us because our life is "too hard" or we just want to be taken care of.  Just remember, God gifted YOU with His life-breath and made you uniquely odd. 

•  Could it be that we fear failing? Why? If we succeeded in everything, we would not learn anything.  It is through our errors, missteps, and screw-ups that we learn.  We learn to give second chances.  We learn that no one is perfect.  We learn that we can use our experiences to help someone else.  We learn!

• Could it be that we fear succeeding?  Why?  Sometimes we want to "fly under the radar" because we don't want to be noticed.  Let's face it, if you succeed then people will expect you to do it again, only bigger and better than before.  Yes, there are times I would rather go off the radar, because then I can get a cleansing WOOSAH breath without anyone noticing.  But when God brings success to us, we have the responsibility to use that be an encouragement and inspiration for others!

• Could it be we fear life will hurt?  Yep......Life is going to punch you in the heart!  Not only that, but it's going to hurt, and will probably hurt for a while.  Sometimes we learn to avoid the punches by distancing ourselves from hurtful people.  But anytime we allow ourselves to care as God cares for us, we will get hurt.  We will get hurt when we don't achieve the goals we set for ourselves. We will get hurt we allow ourselves to love. We will get hurt by the expectations others have for us.  We will get hurt when loss finds us (expectedly or unexpectedly).  Life is going to hurt.  We learn from it and we keep going.

Here's the point:  The last thing to happen to us on this Earth is death.  But because Christ defeated death, we know that death no longer is a reason to fear.  Because, whatever happens between your birth and your death, God already knew and had a plan for, before time began.    

Take Time To Live!

Teach us to realize the brevity of life,
    so that we may grow in wisdom.

Psalm 90:12

Have you ever had someone you love die?  Do you miss them?  Do you ever think about things you should have said....should have done?  Ever wish for another chance to spend time with them?

When my Grampa died, I would have given anything to spend one more day with him listening to his stories, smelling his pipe as he smoked Carter Hall tobacco, learning him, seeing life through his eyes.  Just one more time.

I think I speak for all of us when I say we tend to take life for granted!  We put things off until "tomorrow."  We don't say the things that are important because we just KNOW we'll have that chance "tomorrow."  We care too lightly.  We take ourselves far too seriously.  We let the people who drag us down stay in our lives far too long!  We waste far too much life focused on the negative aspects of everything.

A wise person once told me, "Life is far too brief to waste on inconsequentials! If someone is dragging you down and sucking the life out of you, CUT THEM OFF!  Stay close to those who truly love you! Laugh! And for goodness' sake, LIVE!"

You see, we are not guaranteed tomorrow!  Scripture tells us to plan for it but don't count on it (Matthew 6:34)!

I challenge each of you to LIVE LIFE ON PURPOSE!

     *  Remove those who drain you!

     *  Build up those who love you!

     *  Carry only the burdens worth carrying!

     *  Laugh a LOT (especially at yourself)!

     *  Love passionately!

     *  Live on purpose every moment of every day!

Every single moment of every single day is God's gift to you!  It is YOURS!  Invest it wisely!

Rescue Me!

As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem, they came to a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he taught. But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.”

But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.”

Luke 10:38-42

     We are a busy bunch, aren't we?  I am guilty of filling my calendar with appointments and activities to the point that I become exhausted, drained, and irritated.  I also feel guilty when I can't be everywhere every time to help everyone.  But God...

     You see, nowhere in Scripture does God tell us to work ourselves into exhaustion!  Not even when doing "good work."  Paul tells us that we should not grow weary of doing good, and I had always taken that to mean I should always be busy doing SOMETHING good.  But when I get tired (my bride can attest to this) I get.....how can I put this......testy.  But God has shown me in the past the busy-ness will do more damage than good.  Each of us MUST take time for ourselves!

     In today's passage, Martha is bustling around getting the house and meal ready.  All these are good things!  She is busy doing good works.  But notice that she gets irritated that Mary is taking time to sit at the feet of Jesus to learn and relax.  Jesus reminds Martha that being busy drowns out the voice of the Savior and takes our focus OFF of what is important!  

     One of the things I learned in the Army was a very simple lesson: "If you want to help rescue others, start with yourself!"  Take care of you so you can take care of others!  Let's face it, Jesus took time away from His ministry to recover. God is all powerful and can do everything AND even God took a day to rest, so who are we to say we can do better.

     Therefore, while I am still more than willing to help and minister, I will be taking time to recover and rest too (away from the phone and away from the appointment calendar).  How about you?

What Do You Mean I'm A 'Captive'?

For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. I will be found by you,” says the Lord. “I will end your captivity and restore your fortunes. I will gather you out of the nations where I sent you and will bring you home again to your own land.”

~Jeremiah 29:11-14 

 

We like to quote verse 11 of today's passage where God tells us that He has incredible plans for us that will be good for us and bring us hope.  But we don't usually bother to read beyond that because, after all, we cling to the promise and are content to wait for God to rain down His blessings on us.  But read the rest of the passage!

 

God does have plans for us that will be good for us and will bring hope for us, but He also ways WHEN YOU PRAY, I will listen.  When was the last time you and God had a heart to heart chat?  Did you do all the talking?  THEN God says, "IF you look for me WHOLEHEARTEDLY, you will find me."  Before you ask, NO God is not hiding from us.  Let me put it this way, if I am wearing my sunglasses I cannot read my radio display even though I am looking directly at it and it is less than a foot away.  Why, because my sunglasses filter out the color of my display.  The same applies to us when we "look" for God and can't find him...we casually look expecting to see the bright light and mighty powerful warrior ready to smite those who have hurt our feelings.  But we don't see that God has sent someone to help us who is rather ordinary, because we are not looking for ordinary, we are looking for nuclear fireworks!

 

God promises that if we seek Him will all our attention and desire, we will find Him AND He will end our captivity.  WHAT? Captivity here in the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave?  Yup! We are captive to our STUFF!  We are captive to our CAREERS!  We are captive to our BANK ACCOUNTS!  We are captive to our SPORTS!  We are captives because we find so many things (which will eventually end) to hold our attention rather than God!  How many people do you know who can quote the latest stock trends but can't remember a single verse of Scripture?  How many people do you know who will faithfully attend every single football game and have had season tickets for generations, but "don't have time" to talk with God about their marriage falling apart or their children who have gone wild for lack of parenting?  WE ARE CAPTIVES!!  We are held captive by our own desires!!!

 

A gilded cage is still a prison!

It's 5 O'Clock Somewhere!

For everything there is a season,
    a time for every activity under heaven.

~Ecclesiastes 3:1

A couple of years ago, for all my Parrotheads, Jimmy Buffett did a little ditty called "It's 5 O'Clock Somewhere."  The point of the song is exactly what Solomon is reminding us in  today's Scripture!  There is a time for everything, and that means the time is always NOW!  Think about this message! 

This means:

     *  the time to do what is right is NOW!

     *  the time to tell your loved ones that you love them is NOW!

     *  the time to do your best at work is NOW!

     *  the time to make those positive changes is NOW!

     *  the time to stop procrastinating is NOW!

     *  the time to make things right with someone you are on the outs with....is NOW!

     *  the time to be that good friend is NOW!

     *  the time to step up and PARENT is NOW!

     *  the time to stop cutting corners is NOW!

     *  the time to remember that you are God's chosen child and act like it, is NOW!

     *  the time to stand on your own two feet is NOW!

The time to do the best things for yourself and for those you care about....is NOW!  Make those changes! Mend those relationships! Take those steps! Do it NOW!  After all....It's 5 O'Clock Somewhere!

                            

5 O'Clock