'How Are You Spending Your Time?'
Inspiration
(Pastor James Scarborough, Donalsonville Assembly of God)

The story is told of a counselor who asked three men what they would do with their time if they learned that they only had three weeks to live. Each gave his response. One stated that he would go places, spend all his money living it up and having a good time since he knew he couldn't take any of it with him. The second man, a little less self-centered, responded that he would spend his time helping others to have better lives.

But the third man gave a puzzling answer as he stated that he would spend his last three weeks with his mother-in-law. He elaborated further that he would spend every minute of every day during those three weeks with her. This stirred up the counselor's curiosity, so he inquired about the meaning of the third man's answer. He had a ready answer for the counselor: "Three weeks with my mother-in-law would have to be the longest weeks of my life!"

I suppose that is one man's innovative way of making life seem longer than it really is.

None of us knows how much time we have left on earth, but we all know that it is limited. We should use time wisely, for the glory of God and the good of our fellowman. We face not only the limitations of time because of physical death, but also that of the return of the Lord. Scripture clearly reminds us that Christ will return to earth at the time of His choosing. That should have a huge impact on all of us regarding the use of the time that He has loaned to us. As Christ was addressing this topic in Mark 13, He said, "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in Heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father" (verse 32, NIV). In this context He used an illustration to help His hearers visualize the urgency of what He was saying to them: "It's like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with his assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch" (verse 34).

We, as God's people who make up His Church, have been given serious responsibilities to fulfillhere on earth until He returns for us. So how should we spend our time? By living up to those responsibilities.

He has called us to spend our time in watchfulness. We need to be watching for His return, and we also need to be watching out for the tricks and schemes of Satan that tempt us to depart from living for God. We need to be on the watch for false teachings that try to infiltrate the Lord's Church. And we need to watch out for others by leading them to the grace of Jesus Christ.

He has called us to spend our time performing the task that God has assigned to us. In the illustration in verse 34, it is stated that those in charge of the master's house each have an assigned task. There is something that everyone of us can do for God. He has given us differing gifts, talents and abilities, but whatever He has assigned us to we must diligently do while we have the opportunity.

How are you spending your time? Don't squander it away on foolishness and selfishness, but use it to bring glory to God. He is coming back for those that are watching, waiting and working for Him.