Dear Brethren and Friends,
As we move together into this New Millennium—as designated by the Roman calendar—we need more than ever to prepare for the real New Millennium. For Christ will then be here in dramatic REALITY! And EVERYTHING around us will change.
So it is vitally important that each of us establish the right priorities for our lives. If you knew that you would die of cancer within one year, what would your priorities be? Would you spend more time with God? More time in earnest Bible study and fervent prayer to your Creator? More time loving and encouraging your family? More time SERVING others?
On the other side of the ledger, would you not spend less time watching television, less time “goofing around” and doing nothing in particular? And would not many of you men and women in business cut back on the expenditure of time and energy you dedicate to the corporate world in the pursuit of money and prestige? Would not many of you housewives spend perhaps a little less time making sure your home is “perfect”—and perhaps devote more time to serving others?
Jesus Christ said: “But seek FIRST the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matthew 6:33). One of the most precious possessions we all have is TIME. And, while we are alive and able and not “six feet under”—we should earnestly put Christ and His Kingdom FIRST in our use of time. Most great men and women— though not yet “called” of God—have learned what a valuable resource time is. They guard it jealously and use it carefully for whatever they think is most important in this life. Peter Drucker, considered by many to be the greatest management expert ever, tells us this about how valuable TIME really is:
The supply of time is totally inelastic. No matter how high the demand, the supply will not go up. There is no price for it and no marginal utility curve for it. Moreover, time is totally perishable and cannot be stored. Yesterday’s time is gone forever and will never come back. Time is, therefore, always in exceedingly short supply.
Time is totally irreplaceable. Within limits we can substitute one resource for another, copper for aluminum, for instance. We can substitute capital for human labor. We can use more knowledge or more brawn. But there is no substitute for time.
Everything requires time. It is the one truly universal condition. All work takes place in time and uses up time. Yet most people take for granted this unique, irreplaceable, and necessary resource. Nothing else, perhaps, distinguishes effective executives as much as their tender loving care of time. (The Effective Executive, p. 26).
When the Logos or the “Word”—through whom God created all that is (John 1:1–3)—emptied Himself and became a human being, He set us an example. He was, after all, the “Light” that God the Father sent into the world to show us how to live.
How did Jesus Christ, the Son of God, use the TIME at His disposal while in the human flesh? First of all, the gospels tell us consistently that Jesus was almost always giving, helping and SERVING others. And when He was not doing that, He was “communing” with the Father and recharging His spiritual batteries so that He could continue to be FILLED with the Holy Spirit. For, while in the flesh, Jesus was fully human and was “in all points tempted as we are” (Hebrews 4:15). And even Jesus had to CRY OUT to God again and again for spiritual strength and deliverance.
The book of Hebrews describes the human Jesus: “Who, in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear, though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered” (Hebrews 5:7–8). Jesus constantly put forth the TIME and effort to maintain an extremely close relationship with the Father. He prayed long and hard and put PASSION into His prayers “with vehement CRIES and TEARS” (v. 7).
Before selecting which of the dozens of young men following Him should become His Apostles, Jesus spent a lot of TIME with the Father: “Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued ALL NIGHT in PRAYER to God” (Luke 6:12).
And He often sought God the first thing in the morning—before anything else could interfere: “Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed” (Mark 1:35).
Did Jesus—surrounded by His disciples and by huge crowds demanding His constant attention—have TIME to spend with His Father in this way? The answer is that Jesus knew that if He did not spend that precious time with God, then EVERYTHING else would be at risk! For, in the human flesh, apart from the Father, He could have made serious mistakes, He could have slowly surrendered to the pulls of the flesh. That is why He spent so much time with the Father and “cried out” for the guidance and strength He needed.
Though Jesus Christ had been with the Father from eternity in transcendent GLORY, in the human flesh He found it useful to simplify His life. He had very few clothes or material possessions. He did not own a home (Matthew 8:20). Certainly He was not distracted by television or Hollywood films, telephones, computers, video games, etc. Out under the clear skies of Galilee, Jesus could look up at the heavens—as David did (Psalm 8)—and contemplate the REASON for human life and the great PURPOSE being worked out here below. He was not constantly distracted from this by all of the “things” around Him.
I am in no way suggesting that all our brethren sell their homes or possessions. I am just reminding you how easy it is in our modern society to get caught up in worthless pursuits and therefore FAIL to truly seek first the Kingdom of God. Though Jesus undoubtedly appreciated good food and a clean home, even He had to correct Martha—who evidently did not grasp the VITAL importance of hearing directly from the Messiah when she had the opportunity. In perfect love and wisdom, Jesus patiently explained to Martha that—on an occasion such as this—her TIME and energy should be directed to drawing closer to God and learning more of His perfect WAY. As Martha kept “buzzing around”—probably serving food or snacks—Jesus said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But ONE THING is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her” (Luke 10:41–42).
So all of us need to very carefully and prayerfully determine what is really important. Then, we need to SEEK FIRST those things which are most important by apportioning more TIME to those things which are truly vital to our lives and our relationship with God and others now—and to our opportunity to fully serve in God’s Kingdom FOREVER.
