FreeTruth

As we enter into this new year I do so thinking about the spiritual disciplines and how I need to pursue them with greater effort over the coming days and months. Foundational to all the disciplines is the wise and careful use of time. Jonathan Edwards knew the importance of how we are to respond to the time given us by God, regarding which Donald Whitney has helpfully commented:

At the root of all discipline is the disciplined use of time. Without this one, there are no other disciplines. Edwards recognized this early on, and thus three of the very first of his famous Resolutions--in this case, numbers 5-7--were on the stewardship of time:

5. Resolved, never to lose one moment of time, but to improve it in the most profitable way I possibly can.

6. Resolved, to live with all my might, while I do live.

7. Resolved, never to do anything, which I should be afraid to do if it were the last hour of my life.

One of Edward's best-known and most soul-searching sermons is on this very subject. In December 1734 he preached on "The Preciousness of Time and the Importance of Redeeming It." Taking the words "redeeming the time" from Ephesians 5:16 as his text, Edwards reminded his listeners that time is the only brief preparation we have for all eternity. This time is short, it is passing, the remaining amount of it is uncertain, and whatever time is lost can never be regained. We will give an account to God of how we use our time, Edwards noted, and our precious time is so easily lost. In the most solemn section of the sermon, Edwards called his hearers to consider how people on their deathbed, and especially those in hell, long to have the time that we have at this moment, and how we ought to use our time as they would, if they had the opportunity." ("Pursuing a Passion for God Through Spiritual Disciplines: Learning from Jonathan Edwards," Donald S. Whitney; in--A God Entranced Vision of All Things: The Legacy of Jonathan Edwards, John Piper and Justin Taylor--General Editors, Crossway Books, pages 123-124)

Time is indeed precious. I am particularly struck by the observations made by Edwards that it is "the only brief preparation we have for all eternity", that "time is short, it is passing, the remaining amount of it is uncertain, and whatever time is lost can never be regained." Moreover, "we will give account to God of how we use our time", and that "our precious time is so easily lost."

How will we, how will I, use the time God gives us this new year? Pray that it will be redeemed well. The eternal implications of this for our lives are enormous.

Labels: Guest Post, Spiritual disciplines, Time

Well friends; I've been blog quiet for a few days. Strange how life can pull you along at times, being full of this and that, hardly giving one time to pause and think beyond the immediate pressing need to consider other things.

In recent days my life has included caring for the grieving, the diseased, the sin-wearied, the worn out parent. I've had to comfort the repentant and confront the resistant.

Time had been needed to plan, to prepare for pastoral care, to study, to teach, to preach, to visit, to email, to phone call, to pray.

There has been need for me to be a parent, a grand-parent, a pastor and leader of pastors, a mediator, an organizer, a motivator, a witness.

I've had to fix screens, clean yards, build woodsheds, collect firewood, mend fences (on which big branches have fallen), be a husband.

Pipes have broken, cars have clunked.

I've even spent time (hopefully in ways pleasing to God and in no way trusting in self or money) financial planning (that's ironic in light of the recent posts and comments; by the way--while one may not agree with every conclusion others have drawn in these discussions, one can and should learn from the others and see the very important truth that each has brought to the table).

Please know why I share all of this. It is not so you will feel pity for me or marvel over how busy or full my life is. Why should you? Yours is full too!

My point is that life is full for all of us, and in the middle of it we have to commit to a couple of things:
1. We must commit to pursue only what is most needful, refusing to be caught up in matters that have no abiding relevance or worth. Folks, my biblical call and commitment for years has been to be in the constant pursuit of less; to be relentlessly in the hunt for simplicity. If we do so we will be able to keep our balance even when the pace picks up as it inevitably will.
2. We must make sure in the midst of all we need to do to do that which is most needful--be with God. Keep your focus. Practice the RMMR plan that we are aiming at in our care groups this year (see the TFC website for more on that). Read. Meditate. Memorize. Repeat. And do it all with one single passion: to know more of God and of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Keep first things first.
3. Remember, only God is omnipotent, omniscient, and omni-competent. He alone can do all things; He alone knows all things; He alone has competence to get everything done that is on His task list. Neither you nor I is God. Rest easy when the list is longer at the end of the day than it was at the start. Only God gets everything done that He wants done. The rest of us do our best and then leave it with Him to cover for our deficiencies.

Just a few musings for us for what will probably be another busy day, musings that I hope will help us avoid finding our busyness turning to stress and distraction.

Go with God and know His grace.

Labels: Devotion, Simplicity, Time