What happened to 2005

What happened to 2005?

What ever happened to 2005? I hear many say “before I knew it the year was gone!” This sounds very much like the testimony of the man who was given a prisoner to guard: “…a man came over and brought a man to me, and said, Guard this man; if by any means he is missing, your life shall be for his life… While your servant was busy here and there, he was gone.” (1Kings 20:39-40)

Is that what happened to the year? While we were busy here and there the year was gone? I think that is exactly how it goes with many people – they start the year and get busy with all sorts of things and before they know it, the year has passed and nothing was achieved. This is one of the devices the Devil uses to rob us of our time and to prevent us from doing with our lives what we should be doing. As much as it is true of the year, it is true of the month, the week and the day. How many times do we not begin a day and between this and that the day disappears without anything having been accomplished.

Sometimes the things that keep us busy are quite good and legitimate things but they are not what the Lord wants us to be doing and that is exactly where the problem lies. It does not matter how important the things are that we are doing, if it is not what the Lord wants then they are the wrong things and they are a waste of time. That does not mean we have to neglect our relationships, jobs, and our physical and emotional wellbeing. Because if we walk in obedience to Him, He will lead us to attend to the right things at the right time. It is when we disobey His directions that we get into trouble. You may remember that at the time that kings were supposed to go to war, that instead of leading the army, David decided to take a vacation in his palace. This resulted in the next mistake which was that he slept all day which led to his sinning with Bathsheba that night. When we choose to disobey the Lord, it does not only mean the loss of time, but it also means that we are exposed to temptations and attacks that would not have been an issue had we been doing the right thing at the right time.

Many feel that their time is theirs to use or lose as they see fit. So what if we waste a few hours, days or years? The truth is that for believers, their time belongs to the Lord along with the rest of their lives. “…you are not your own. For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's” (1Cor 6:19-20). When He paid that terrible price for us on the Cross, He bought the rights to all of us including every minute of our time. Because we are no longer our own, He not only has the right to specify how we use our time, but to call us to give an account of how we used the time He committed to our trust. So, if He had to ask you to give an account for 2005 what would His conclusion be? Would you have to confess that while you were busy with this and that, the year disappeared?

Off course the problem with losing time, is that it can never be recovered again. You may loose a ring or a watch and it could be found but every minute that has been wasted is gone forever and will never come back again. The younger we are, the more we think that a year is a very long time and we have our whole lives ahead of us. The older we get, the shorter the years seem to be and the more we realize that we only have a limited time to do what we have been called to do.

Only one life, yes only one, Soon will its fleeting hours be done;
Then, in 'that day' my Lord to meet, And stand before His Judgment seat;
Only one life, 'twill soon be past, Only what's done for Christ will last.

Only one life, the still small voice, Gently pleads for a better choice
Bidding me selfish aims to leave, And to God's holy will to cleave;

Only one life, 'twill soon be past, Only what's done for Christ will last.

Only one life, a few brief years, Each with its burdens, hopes, and fears;
Each with its days I must fulfill, living for self or in His will;
Only one life, 'twill soon be past, Only what's done for Christ will last.
- Author Unknown

As we stand at the threshold of another year we need to determine that we will use the time the Lord will still give us to its maximum potential, that we will not waste a single minute, but do everything that He wants us to do. Paul calls those who waste time fools and urges us to be wise and to “redeem the time” (Eph 5:16, Col 4:5). By redeeming the time he literally means we have to buy back the time. In other words make full use of every opportunity. We need to do this because the days are evil which speaks of the fact that the evil in the world wants to oppose the good by wasting our time.

Now let’s get practical. I am sure that every one of us can find 30 minutes per day which is wasted – watching television, doing the crossword, reading the comics and so on. Let me challenge you to decide today that you will use that half hour every day to do something for the Kingdom. Did you know that over the next year those half-hours will add up to 22 8-hour days? That’s right, twenty two days that are wasted that could be used to serve the Lord. Now pray that the Lord will direct you to a project that you could commit to in 30 minute increments every day. That is exactly what Paul meant by redeeming the time. Don’t put this off. Do it today.

“See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.” (Eph 5:15,16)

Anton Bosch

anton@ifcb.net

3310 W Magnolia Blvd

Burbank, CA, 91505

Tel 818 846 5520