“Teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.” (Psalm 90:12, ESV).
We know that time in this world is a perishable commodity. It is going to run out for each one of us at some point. Our time will have no real meaning in the eternal world, but what we do with it now does have an impact on eternity. In the 1960s, Charles Hummel wrote a book entitled, Tyranny of the Urgent. The basic premise of this book is that the most urgent task is not always the most important. The tyranny of the urgent lies in its distortion of priorities. We must evaluate the use of our time not by what is most urgent, but by what is most important. We need discernment to converterlate our perishable time into something imperishable. And we will only have the wisdom that we need for that evaluation if we depend on God and his Word to guide us.
It has become increasingly clear to me that the only two things that will survive the perishable world are the Word of God, which endures forever, and the souls of people, who will live in one of two places for all of eternity. Jesus Christ came into this world to save sinners. When he left this world physically, he left us, his followers, to reach our respective generations with the good news of salvation. One of our responsibilities as believers is to be ambassadors for Christ. The apostle Paul made it clear when he said, “We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us” (2 Corinthians 5:20, NIV). Each one of us is an ambassador for Christ in one way or another. Our mission is to introduce people to the person of Jesus Christ! How are you using your time to make this happen?
We all know, at least on an intellectual level, that this present world is passing away with all of its attractions. However, why is it that we often don’t embrace this reality until we experience a personal crisis? For me, I came face to face with the shortness of my days when I was diagnosed with cancer. It forced me to evaluate the priorities in my life regarding the use of my time. I needed to reconsider my commitments in light of the perishable and imperishable, the temporary and eternal.
In many ways I was using my time to pursue my own kingdom. But as I studied God’s Word, I began to see the opportunities before me to make a difference in God’s kingdom. I discovered that I needed to use my time to invest in the things God desires.
As our relationship with God develops and we soak in his Word, he reveals more of himself and his plans for us. As we flow with the Holy Spirit, he empowers us to accomplish his purposes. God is the one who knows how we should use our time and what will bring us joy.
How much of your time are you investing in perishable pursuits? How much of your time are you investing in God’s kingdom?
Converterlators embrace the fact that they have a limited amount of time to make an impact on this world and the world to come.