Making good use of time

Do you like riddles?  I’ve got one for you this morning.  The riddle goes like this: “I am your most prized possession, but you don’t keep me in a bank.  I am of great worth, but you don’t know how much of me you have.  Children take me for granted, but old people want me desperately.  What am I?”

The answer, of course, is time.  Time is your most prized possession, but you don’t keep it in a bank.  Time is of great worth, but you don’t know how much of it you have.  Children take time for granted, but old people want it desperately.  Each of us is born with a fixed amount of time; it is a limited resource that has no clear expiration date.

Some people take time for granted; they waste gobs of it with hardly a thought.  They lose years to alcohol and drugs.  They spend money as quickly as they get it, because they aren’t concerned about the future.  They put off making big decisions and don’t like being tied down by commitments; there will always be time later to deal with those kinds of things.

Other people worry about time, and clutch it tightly like a miser.  They make lists and schedules, cramming each day full of activities.  They hate getting stuck in traffic or waiting in a doctor’s office.  If asked to serve as a volunteer, they want something of value in exchange for their time—will the activity advance their education, or could it look good on a resume?  They are always looking for ways to get the most ‘bang’ for their buck.

When it comes to the Lord, most people hesitate to give their time.  Those who take time for granted feel no urgency about church matters.  There’ll be plenty of time to get involved with such things when they’re older.  Those who worry about time have difficulty fitting church activities into their busy schedules.  There’s too much important stuff going on right now; let the retired members serve on committees since they don’t have anything else to do.  And so, because of sinful attitudes regarding time, churches are half-empty on Sunday mornings and the same few people end up holding offices and doing the work of the congregation.

This weekend my focus is on stewardship.  You might be expecting a message that nags you about donating more dollars to the church.  But money is not the main focus of stewardship—time is.  

Money is a byproduct of time.  If you don’t put in time at work, you won’t earn a paycheck.  Investments need time to mature and show a profit.  In fact, we often use money as a way to save our time.  In some churches, for example, members put money in the collection plate to pay for a janitor so they don’t have to take turns cleaning the building.   People will buy expensive airline tickets to avoid long hours traveling in a car.  We spend money on eating out so we don’t have to spend time working in the kitchen. 

Money represents time.  And God expects money from us—money to support the work of His church, which announces the Good News of salvation to those who are wasting away in the darkness of sin.  In Romans chapter ten Paul writes, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?  And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"  The lost and erring must hear of Jesus and the cross, or they will be lost forever when they die.  As people who have been called out of the darkness into God’s marvelous light, we have an obligation to support the spread of the Gospel that has filled our lives with hope.  God gives us money to support this work. 

Consider the poor widow in Mark 12:41-44.  She had no government support—in those days there was no such thing as Welfare or Social Security.  She had no family to give her food or provide her shelter.  She was getting by on virtually nothing.  Yet when she visited God’s house of worship, she donated everything she had to live on.  Why?  Because she was loved by God and His love filled her heart.  She knew that God cared for her, had forgiven all her sins, and had promised her a place in His magnificent kingdom.  She was grateful for God’s love, a love that gave her peace and a reason to rejoice even when times were hard.  And she shared God’s love for those who did not have this blessing of closeness to the Almighty.  That love moved the poverty-stricken widow to do something almost unthinkable; she put her last coins in the Temple treasury.  She gave them out of gratitude for God’s rich mercy, which had given her life meaning.  She gave those coins to support spreading the word of God to those who lived with no hope.  And she had faith—faith that God would take care of her.  Jesus, seeing this great act of love, praised her to His disciples: "I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others.  They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on."

But you can’t buy off God with money.  Money is important, but it is not as important as time.  Look at the first three commandments; do they require money or time?  You shall have no other gods.  You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God.  Observe the Sabbath Day by keeping it holy.  Jesus summed up these words when He said, `Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'  This is the first and greatest commandment (Matthew 22:37-38).  Do you think that you can put money in the plate and God won’t care if you then go and break His laws?  Do you think that God will be satisfied with a check in the mail while you spend your Sunday mornings in bed or at the lake?  Much more than money, God expects and deserves your time.

God gives us many things.  In the Small Catechism, Luther mentions food and drink, clothing and shoes, house and home, land and animals, money and goods, a godly spouse and godly children, godly workers, godly and dependable rulers, good government and good weather, peace and health, self-control and a good reputation, good friends and neighbors you can depend on.  As far as Luther is concerned, you can be richly blessed even when money is lacking.

God also blesses us with spiritual gifts.  In Galatians chapter five, Paul gives the following list: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.  These come because, in Christ, our sins are forgiven.  He takes away our hatred, fear and doubt; He teaches us to forgive, love and trust.  These are gifts that last for all time; they are gifts no amount of money can buy.

But the most precious thing that God has given us is the time that Jesus spent here on earth.  God’s Son stepped down from heaven to be born as a man of finite days; after a mere 33 years, His life would end on the cross.  Jesus knew the pressure of time, just as we do—yet unlike us, He used His time wisely.  When He was age 12, He paid careful attention to religious instruction at the Temple.  Throughout His life, worship on the Sabbath was part of His weekly routine.  As an adult, Jesus always made Himself available for those who needed His care, but He never let the pressures of the day interfere with time for prayer.  He spoke of our sin and need for salvation with anyone who would listen.  He never let negative people stop Him from giving hope to the hopeless.  And then He went to the cross, the once-and-for-all sacrifice by which our sins are laid to rest.  Jesus died that we might be forgiven.

It’s amazing what Jesus accomplished in such a small amount of time—He changed the universe forever!  Death is no longer the undefeatable enemy of mankind; through His death and resurrection, Jesus has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light (2 Timothy 1:10).  Bitterness and regret no longer leave permanent scars on our lives; fear and anger no longer drive us to despair.  Jesus changed everything for us through the gift of His time.

In Romans chapter twelve, Paul urges us to offer our bodies as living sacrifices to God, as our spiritual act of worship.  He wants us to dedicate our time to God.  There are many ways to do this.  Attend worship regularly, at your home congregation or as a visitor when you travel.  Study the Bible—at church, with a group of friends, or privately at home.  Purchase a Bible on CD and listen to God’s word while you drive or exercise.  Volunteer to do something for the church—cleaning up, tending the grounds, serving as an officer or member of a committee.  Bring flowers for the altar or make a banner for the wall.  Bring a friend with you to worship. 

But don’t give your time or money grudgingly.  Remember that 2nd Corinthians says, Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.  Consider Jacob: after seeing the stairway to heaven and hearing the promises that God made to Him, Jacob tied his giving to the Lord’s generosity—of all that you give me, I will give you a tenth (Genesis 28:22).  Jacob was a practical man who knew what money was worth—but he also trusted God to provide for him.  So he made a vow—the more God gave to him, the more Jacob would return to the Lord with grateful thanks.

God has given you a great deal.  Of course the most precious gift is His Son Jesus, through whom your sins are wiped away and you have the promise of everlasting life.  But the second most precious thing you have is time.  Time is precious because you have it in limited amount; when it runs out, your stay on earth is done.  Time is precious because you don’t know how much of it you have; you might die today or 20 years from now—only God knows the number of days that remain for you.   Time is precious, so you must use it wisely.  Don’t waste time as if tomorrow is guaranteed—it’s not.  Don’t be stingy with your time, and miss opportunities to show love to God and your fellow man.  Dedicate your time to God; ask Him for guidance in how to spend the days that He has given you.  Donating money to support His work is always welcome, but God prizes your time above all else.