Is our Time Ours?
Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality.
Bless those who persecute you. Don’t curse them; pray that God will bless them. Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with each other. Don’t be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don’t think you know it all!
Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.
Romans 12:9-18, NLT
Have you ever thought about who your time belongs to? In the church world, we like to use the word "steward" a lot. It's a really old word. The people who study words (whoever they are) believe it dates back to around 900 AD. That's really Old English.
What was a Steward?
A steward was a person who managed someone else's household and property. He would live in a house that was owned by the lord of the area. It was usually a really nice house. He would then maintain the equivalent of three counties today for the lord. He would make decisions as if they were the lord's decisions, but in reality the house and land still belonged to the lord.
Today, the dictionary defines steward as "a person who manages another's property or financial affairs; one who administers anything as the agent of another or others." That seems pretty much in line with what it meant back in 900 AD.
What about Time?
Have you ever thought about what it means to be a good steward of your time? If we do everything on this earth for our Lord because we are his stewards, then everything we have is to serve him. Of course, we take care of our family in the process, but the purpose is to build his Kingdom here.
How then should we spend our time? We have to work or take care of our families. We have to eat, sleep, and exercise. What do we do with the rest of it?
This week, I challenge you to look at where your time goes. Do you plan time to dedicate to God, or do you just give him whatever time is left over? Do you treat time as a resource or is it just a fact of life? I'd love to hear what you come up with. Leave your comments below.
See you Sunday!
-Faith
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Faith Parry serves as our Associate Pastor, and has been at the church since 2015. When she's not preaching and teaching, she enjoys documentaries and TV. Read more about Faith here.
