Value your time, and use it wisely!

As most of you know from last weeks writing, my family and I went on a vacation that could have gone so much better in our minds than the way it turned out. It ceases to amaze me how God will use one situation, to continue to talk to us in ways we can only fully comprehend through reflection, this example is no exception.

I came away last week focusing on the childlike contentment that was shown through our children. After further reflection, and a few things that have happened since we returned, it is evident that God had a much deeper insight for me to see.

You see the weeks before our vacation my wife and I were both praying and struggling with the question of our time, and are we using it to fulfill what God has planned for our lives. It didn't truly hit me until yesterday that the message we were meant to receive was about our time. We had planned a perfect vacation, that was to be a seven day sun and fun filled adventure, that got shrunk down to the last two days. On Sunday, the first day of our vacation, our kids were wanting to do everything possible, we kept telling them we are here for a week we will get to do all of the things you are wanting to do.

Yesterday I realized that in life we say the exact same thing, "we have our whole life ahead of us we can play catch, have a tea party, or spread the gospel tomorrow". The truth is we are only given so much time, and what we do with it gets more important as each day goes by. You can make more money, build new houses, buy more material things, but time is the real commodity.

Matthew 24:42-44
42 Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. 43 But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. 44 Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

Ecclesiastes 9: 9-12
9 Live joyfully with the wife whom you love all the days of your vain life which He has given you under the sun, all your days of vanity; for that is your portion in life, and in the labor which you perform under the sun.
10 Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going.
11 I returned and saw under the sun that--
The race is not to the swift,
Nor the battle to the strong,
Nor bread to the wise,
Nor riches to men of understanding,
Nor favor to men of skill;
But time and chance happen to them all.
12 For man also does not know his time:
Like fish taken in a cruel net,
Like birds caught in a snare,
So the sons of men are snared in an evil time,
When it falls suddenly upon them.

I have come away from our vacation renewed, inspired, and ready to serve God.