When Time Matters

I've noticed common themes here at HeartQuencher--time, ministry, family, food. If you're like me, limited resources create challenging situations. They also give me opportunities to learn. And they reveal what's in my heart (ouch!).

For a class at Faith Bible Seminary I'm required to keep track of eating, sleeping, and exercise. It's been a good heart check that reminds me, "whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." (1 Corinthians 10:31). At the end of each day we:

1) Identify any areas where God was not glorified in your eating, drinking, exercise or rest.
2) Identify victories by God’s grace today.
3) Identify needed growth and your plan for change.*

It's made me more sensitive to how I use time. Below this is a list of self-evaluation questions. They're also listed as a page on this website for easy access.

As we head into a crazy-busy holiday season, may we do more than "get things done." May we seek to glorify God with each waking (and sleeping!) moment.

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Time Management Evaluation Checkpoints

Adapted from Elyse Fitzpatrick’s book, Love to Eat, Hate to Eat and Amy Baker’s class Common Counseling Issues II (Faith Bible Seminary, Lafayette, IN)

Idolatry: Does this activity demonstrate a heart that values something more than my Savior and Lord?
Some possible idols could include:

• 1. Control - I can do whatever I want and no one can keep me from it.
• 2. Pleasure – I’m going to do this because I want the enjoyment it gives even if it keeps me from fulfilling God-given responsibilities to myself or others. For example:
• Even though I’ve worked too hard/too long, I’m going to keep going because it makes me feel good.
• Even though I have things that need to be done, “I deserve a break today.”
• I’m going to reward myself with this activity even if it means sacrificing biblical priorities or leads to further sin (see “Inroads” and “Priorities”).
• 3. Superiority.  I want to be better than other people.  For example:
• I feel superior when I do more or work longer than everyone else around me.
• 4. Comfort.  I want to feel better.  For example:
• I feel sad, guilty, afraid and/or want to escape so I am looking to “me” time for comfort rather than seeking comfort from God.

Coveting: Am I experiencing an inordinate desire for this?

• I want the best part of the day for myself.
• I want the most possible time for myself.
• I want to spend time any way I choose even if it means I miss opportunities to serve/love others.
• I want as much freedom as people or friends I know with fewer responsibilities.

Inroad: If I do this will it create an inroad for sin?

• Will this activity create a desire to overindulge, even though it isn’t sinful in and of itself?  For example
• If I sit down to watch an episode or check e-mail, the news, or Facebook, will it create a desire to spend more time/money than I should? 
• Will it lead me to other sinful activities—overeating, overspending, watching inappropriate images/videos, or wasting resources?)  
• Is there a place I frequent where I spend more money than is prudent, fall into covetousness, or take on an arrogant, self-exalting attitude?  
• If I “take a break,” will I then turn on the computer or T.V. and get lost in time when I should be fulfilling other responsibilities?  
• If I set high expectations for getting things done, will I give in to impatience, disrespect for and unkindness toward others? Will it build others up or puff me up? 

Praise: Am I doing this with a heart of worship, thanks and gratitude?

• Have I resented having to do this chore when I wanted to do something else?
• Have I resented not getting things done that were on my “to do” list because of interruptions, unexpected people or events?
• Have I thought of time as an enemy rather than thinking of it as a good gift from God that he wants me to use and enjoy to its fullest?

Stewardship:  Am I spending my time in a way that honors God or myself?

• With the time I have each day, do I properly care for my body, use spiritual gifts, natural abilities and financial resources in a way that honors God or pleases me?
• Who/What is my focus? Myself or others?

Emotions: Does the desire to spend time on this activity flow out of a heart of anger, fear, hurt, frustration or depression?

Priorities: Am I giving time, money, or energy to this in a way that prevents me from carrying out other God-given responsibilities or priorities? For example,

• Am I neglecting biblical priorities in order to shop, pamper myself, drink coffee with friends, attend meetings, watch sporting events or play ball? (Or am I expecting someone else to neglect biblical priorities in order to spend time with me?)

* Dr. Amy Baker, Faith Bible Seminary, Lafayette, IN

When I Want Change NOW

Have you ever noticed that having a lot of something--time, money, energy--gives you a sense of control and lack of concern? At least it would appear that way. Multi-millionaires don't make a fuss when they purchase tickets, a meal (or five or ten) at a 4-star restaurant, or pay the door man. For some of us, it costs something. Everything we buy means something we don't. The object is the same, but because of limitations, we value it differently.

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God is God--not a man--but have you ever thought about how much time means to Him?  The eternal, uncreated, self-sustaining God rules from eternity past to eternity future. He created time. For Him, it is not limited. He is not hurried. There is no deadline, due date or expiration. That means my crisis is not a crisis. He was there yesterday. He is in tomorrow. The future is the past.

When He wants to move nations and create leaders. He does. When He chooses to use a man, or change a man, He moves heaven and earth to accomplish His purpose.

Sometimes I get discouraged that life isn't happening according to my plan or I'm not changing as quickly as I'd like or in the areas where I struggle. That's when I'm reminded of the great men of the Bible--flawed, failing men--and God's patient, good use of trials and difficult circumstances. Pick one --Abraham, Joseph, David, Jeremiah, Paul. Pick any one of these men and plot his life. God patiently worked people and circumstances to change them and bring them to a place of giftedness and dependence. Getting to the "other side" was not the goal, change was. God used time as an instrument, a tool, a mechanism, to accomplish His good purpose and use each one for His glory.

The take away for me this morning? Stop. Slow down. Look up. Let go. Time is not the enemy--is never the enemy--but hanging on too tightly is.

Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations.
Before the mountains were brought forth,
Or ever You had formed the earth and the world,
Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.

You turn man to destruction,
And say, “Return, O children of men.”
For a thousand years in Your sight
Are like yesterday when it is past,
And like a watch in the night.
You carry them away like a flood;
They are like a sleep.
In the morning they are like grass which grows up:
In the morning it flourishes and grows up;
In the evening it is cut down and withers.

For we have been consumed by Your anger,
And by Your wrath we are terrified.
You have set our iniquities before You,
Our secret sins in the light of Your countenance.
For all our days have passed away in Your wrath;
We finish our years like a sigh.
The days of our lives are seventy years;
And if by reason of strength they are eighty years,
Yet their boast is only labor and sorrow;
For it is soon cut off, and we fly away.
Who knows the power of Your anger?
For as the fear of You, so is Your wrath.
So teach us to number our days,
That we may gain a heart of wisdom.

Return, O Lord!
How long?
And have compassion on Your servants.
Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy,
That we may rejoice and be glad all our days!
Make us glad according to the days in which You have afflicted us,
The years in which we have seen evil.
Let Your work appear to Your servants,
And Your glory to their children.
And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us,
And establish the work of our hands for us;
Yes, establish the work of our hands. (Psalm 90 NKJV)

Filth Factor

Have you ever considered skin--that outer layer of ours--as a reminder of forgiveness?

We live on a farm--with dirt, germs, yuck. There is clean dirt--grass, dead leaves, and soil that get under your nails and stick. There's dirty dirt--compost, manure, small animal droppings that create clinging aromas. And then there's decay--rotting grain, maggot-infested or decomposing flesh. that ascend one's sinuses and work their way into memory. I won't say more.

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Those are the outer pollutants--then there's you-yuck: sweat, emptying pores, and other indiscriminate stinky things we don't talk about.

It happens. So, as soon as possible--especially before joining the company of others--we find a shower, a bath, or some method of removing it.

And that's when I'm particularly thankful that God made skin washable. Do you, like me, marvel in the wonder of disappearing stink? Filth floating down the drain? And fresh-smelling,clean-feeling, wonderful, amazing epidermis? No matter how gross, how overwhelming, how enduring the chore, the stink goes away in a relatively short time.

That's when I was reminded of my sin and shame. It might be brush-it-off, stay-with-you or infused in your memory sin and guilt, but God--through the washing of regeneration by the Holy Spirit, through Jesus Christ--removes it. He cleanses us. From all of it. All. He refreshes and renews us, gives us the aroma of Christ, sends us back out amidst dust-filled streets and dung-covered walkways and draws us back to wash our feet again and again and again.

Have you showered lately? Or is it time to spend some time being washed with the Word and cleansed by the work of the Holy Spirit? What's your yuck factor? Come to Jesus today. Now. He's all we need.

For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. Titus 3:3-7

This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.


If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us. 1 John 1:5-10

Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life. And who is sufficient for these things? For we are not, as so many, peddling the word of God; but as of sincerity, but as from God, we speak in the sight of God in Christ. 2 Corinthians 2:14-17