There is no time

One of the most common complaints I hear is "I don't have any time." I hear parents say to their little one, "Hurry up. We don't have all day." Drivers tailgate, weave in and out of lanes, and pass dangerously - supposedly because they just have to be somewhere NOW. I can feel the muscles in my shoulders and neck tighten with tension at 6:30 AM when I am putting together my schedule for a day I have packed with activities and appointments that will stretch into the evening. Even our kids are often over-scheduled! Fearing that their little ones won't have every advantage, parents pack in a full day of school, then a dance lesson, a music lesson, and a sports league commitment before dragging the exhausted 8 year home for a hurried dinner at 7, followed by homework before bedtime. It borders on abuse!

All this frenetic activity is having a horrible effect on our lives, especially spiritually. It is time to reclaim our days with wise choices and counter-cultural decisions. A friend of mine made a very brave and wise choice yesterday. He said, "No." That's right. He said no to a ministry that is good, to which he has been a wonderful asset for 4 years, not so he could sit home and watch more TV, but so that he could say, "Yes," to that calling which is his true passion and in which he has shown his greatest effectiveness. Not everyone will applaud his choice. Some will likely judge him negatively. Others will think he's abandoned a responsibility. But, truthfully, he has done what many of us ought to do. He has made the choice to be available to God in the area of His calling in a primary way. His joy will increase and so will his value in that primary ministry.

Don't mistake what I'm writing about today. This isn't about being weary! It isn't about dropping out of life because you're tired in the evening. Even Jesus Himself worked so hard that He was weary. Hard work is noble, but worship of our work is idolatry. There is a difference. We need to offer up our time to His Lordship, carry on a conversation with Him about the priority choices of our daily life, and then choose to spend ourselves in those things that matter most to the Kingdom. "But, Jerry, I have to go to work." Yes, you do and even your work matters to God. But, if your work consumes your life for 60-70 hours a week, it is likely you have made an idol of it, an idol that needs to be torn down.

A common mistake we make is to define our worth by our work. "If I work hard and gain more money, receive awards, or have others take notice of how much I do, then I am a person of worth." That lie keeps too many of us doing more and more, often in a way that is less and less effective. For many of us, (I include myself here) work is a kind of drug. As we load up our lives with responsibility, our body responds to the stress with hormones like adrenaline to help us 'fight the fight.' That's why we come home exhausted at 9 PM but can't fall asleep because we are 'wired.' When a day without pressure appears, we grow agitated, because we miss the feeling of 'excitement' that comes with a full schedule. Then, too, as long as we're doing something, we don't have to think about who we are inside, our fears, our inadequacies, even our sins. The constant noise of our busy life blocks the quiet voices of conscience and the Spirit of God.

Dr. Richard Swenson observes, "The cultural treadmill is not moving in the direction of the Kingdom. We must be willing to shape a new kingdom culture for ourselves -- one that may fly in the face of cultural norms and expectations. ... What matters most is that we keep our compass pointed in the direction of the Kingdom. Therein lies the joy of a life with room around the edges." - DJ, January/February 2005

As you choose to do less, don't expect everybody to applaud. Prepare for a guilty conscience when you say, "No," to a good ministry opportunity that comes your way because you really don't sense God's Spirit leading in that direction. Realize, too, that making the Kingdom choice may well mean being passed over for that promotion, or giving up the resources for that dream vacation, or even moving into a smaller home!

Reflect on this today. "And how do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul in the process?" (Mark 8:36, NLT)

Believer, we are His servants. Are we offering up our lives, including our time, to Him?
"I lift up my eyes to you, to you whose throne is in heaven.
As the eyes of slaves look to the hand of their master,
as the eyes of a maid look to the hand of her mistress,
so our eyes look to the LORD our God, till he shows us his mercy.
Have mercy on us, O LORD, have mercy on us, for we have endured much contempt."
Psalm 123:1-3, NIV