Time is Treasure

In my last post about work in the flesh versus work in Jesus’ energy, you responded beautifully to my dilemma and Christ’s solution.  So I wanted to write a little about this issue of time.

I love to study physics, especially quantum physics (the study of the miniscule).  Just like nature, it’s full of mystery and revelation of God.

Physics says time varies according to the person: their activity and perspective. That fact is difficult because the clock IS rigid.

Henry Van Dyke understood it perfectly:

Time is too slow for those who wait,
too swift for those who fear,
too long for those who grieve,
too short for those who rejoice,
but for those who love,
time is eternity. 

As for time, somewhere along the way I believed that there was not enough time for what needed to be done. Time is precious to me and time is treasure. I love to work and write and live and learn and go. I also love relationships with fascinating people – and everyone is. Plus I have some 29 books in me!  I take heart from those who began to write in their 80s! Must I wait that long, Lord?

All that living must be squeezed into the clock on the wall and the watch on my wrist. I have confessed this as the sin of unbelief.  Since God is perfect AND extravagant, I know that we have all the time we need for destiny. But logically (that’s the bad word) it seems I am always behind the eight ball – whatever that means.

Life must be pressed into a 24-hour day that in my rigid view of time is completely insufficient. Every 24-hour day should contain 48 hours!  And I am always looking at the mountain I must move and calculating how many hundred hours it will take. Then I just want to sit down and watch the news. Why begin?

On the other hand, I can waste huge globs of time and then have no time for the important. Do you know the little booklet, “The Tyranny of the Urgent?”

The ideas I have mentioned here are the ways and thoughts of the flesh concerning time.  God’s thoughts on time are above my thoughts on time. His ways to move outside of time are better than my ways to waste within time.

Years ago, a dear friend saw me pour time into someone who had no intention of change or growth, much less obedience. She said to me, “Martha, you are not giving away your time, you are squandering your life. Your time IS your life!”  How wise!

I had never thought of life as measured by our use of time. That makes it even more valuable. It put the issue of time into a different place of importance. The Lord has said to me, “Go where there is fruit.”  But He also pours us out as crushed grapes and broken bread where it seems to be an utter waste.

The issue is…my time is His time.

Time being life, then time is a treasure that belongs to the Lord for His purposes.  My life is His, my time He owns.

As in all things, what God owns He protects, what God controls He enhances. And what is given to Him becomes sanctified, ‘made holy.’ So with time.

And as I give over the days to Him, I discover that my nurturing Father is much wiser and more generous with my hours than I am.  He is aware of my need for different times and seasons. He gives rest, He calls for change, He interrupts with joys and diversions.  He is the brilliant, perfect manager of time…so long as He holds the clock!

Mark 6:31 AMP
And [Jesus] said to them, ‘[As for you] come away by yourselves to a deserted place, and rest a while’—for many were [continually] coming and going, and they had not even leisure enough to eat.