My Time

We live in a very self-adoring, glorifying and centered society.  At one point in recent years (I'm not sure if it's the current slogan or not) you could "get it your way" at Burger King.  Numerous ads through the years have been launched touting, "This is my time"  to succeed, lose weight, gain the victory, become number one, etc.  With overwhelming media bombarding our homes, hearts and minds at every turn and angle joined with the ever quickening pace of digital technology at our all-too-ready fingertips, it seems as if there if very little recourse for the soul that seeks to stand apart from the crowd and not focus merely on themselves. 

As a member of such a society, I must plead guilty to having succumbed to such a philosophy and attitude from time to time.  Okay...moment of honesty, here....I share this attitude with the world around me far more than I ever truly realize!  I plead guilty, indeed, for it is against God's desired and designed way for us to live our lives before Him and the world around us! 

Satan shared this same "self" sin; in fact, it was the very reason that he fell from God's esteem and rebelled against the Creator of all.  Isaiah recounts his demise to which we can also succumb: "For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High" (Is. 14:13-14).   Lucifer then infected Adam and Eve with his sick syndrome enticing them to disobey God's simple command so that they too could say, "[I wil] be as gods, knowing good and evil" (Gen. 3:5).  Sound familiar?  It's the same exact phrase expressed from the soul of Satan!  As a result, this same destructive legacy has been passed to each and every human descending from Adam and Eve - which would be us all (Rom. 5:12, 19).  

Now we can see our present world through the filter of God's Word.  The way things are is not how they should be!  God desires that we, as the redeemed through Christ's blood, should seek the things of others above ourselves according to the pattern of Christ, Himself (Phil. 2:3-11).  Now, we come to the truly personal stuff.  

Yesterday, I started a new semester of classes.  As much as I haven't been looking forward to the crazy schedule, the added stress and the long commutes, I truly have been eager to learn the inner-workings of the human body (I'm taking Anatomy and Physiology).  Being the first day of school, I truly was expecting a decent day.  Boy, was I naive to what was to befall me! Let's get an overview:

• Candace and I bickered over driving directions and traffic maneuvering through Orlando, morning rush hour traffic (a fault more to my credit than hers)
• Being just a few minutes late for our first class (see bullet 1)
• standing in line for over an hour and half for the 1 book we couldn't get before hand, nor get anywhere else as it was specific to our school and class (gotta love college textbook racketeering - another blog, another day)
• sitting in a huge mound of peanut butter and proudly touting my "sticky buns" for several hours until Candace noticed I hadn't completely cleaned the entire mess up (PTL, however, that at least I can finally fit into the jeans again after all of the Christmas goodies)
• my new cup that Candace got me for our Anniversary fell on the ground and shattered all over - it was my favorite!
• and so many other "little things" that added up to a whole bunch of frustration!

As I walked in the rain across campus muttering in my mind (man, they don't make movies this dramatic do they?)  I grappled with the Lord in my spirit.  Didn't I deserve at least a good first day of class?  My plans were far greater for the day; I expected to get a lot more accomplished in my coursework than  dirty jeans.  "My time is much more valuable and precious than this," I thought.

Through this all, my Great God, brought conviction to my troubled heart.  What is your time?  My time is short, fleeting and uncertain. Who has given you this time? You have, Father. Why? To glorify You in all that I do and share Your truth, light and salvation to all the world.  What are you doing with this time, however?  I'm not redeeming it.  I'm pitying myself, focused on my desires and not Yours.  How can this change?  I need Your power strengthening me.  I need You to work through me to do all that is required of me by You and the world that is around me...like life. 

Hallelujah - my God delivered me and rushed my hardened heart with His grace, peace and strength!  Don't get me wrong - I still found myself muttering as each progressively stupid thing happened to me, but I took it back to my Father and placed it before Him, looking for Him to help me through it.  He did. 

In the time since, I've done some studying in His Word regarding the philosophy of "my time" that I was carrying in my heart.  This phrase is found in Scripture only 4 times.  The majority of them, 3, are all in reference to Jesus Christ as He referred to "my time" (cf. John 7:6,8; Matt. 26:18).  The final remaining one does indeed refer to men, but in a contrary way, "Remember how short my time is: wherefore hast thou made all men in vain?" (Ps. 89:47).  A very striking picture is presented here for us.  The time that is given to us individually is short and subject to great vanity.  Our time, however, in Christ is to be "redeemed" (2 Cor. 6:1-2; Eph. 5:16; Col. 4:5) as it belongs to Him. 

I now offer the same question to you, that the Lord purged my heart with yesterday:  "What are you doing with My time?"