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Tag: Teach us to number our days

No time, no time, too much to do

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On September 24, 2009

In Christian

In a world that moves at an accelerated pace, we often find our lives caught in a rut, as if it revolves within a hamster wheel. We make time for many things but when it comes to the work of God, we find ourselves saying that there is no time. Interesting isn’t it that each one of us are given exactly the same amount of time; 24 hours in a day, no matter who you are or where you are. The Bible tells us that Time (life) and Chance (opportunity) is given to ALL (Ecclesiastes 9:11). So what are we doing with the time and chance that has been given to us? Are we finding ourselves saying we have ‘no time’?

Did you ever wonder as to what our plight would have been, if and only if Jesus had said, ‘I have no time‘ to Father God? I hope there never comes a time when Jesus has the need to say that He had no time for us. Read below this poem (author unknown) and respond as the Spirit of God leads you to —

I knelt to pray but not for long, I had too much to do.
I had to hurry and get to work, for bills would soon be due.
So I knelt and said a hurried prayer, and jumped up off my knees.
My Christian duty was now done, my soul could rest at ease.

All day long I had no time, to spread a word of cheer.
No time to speak of Jesus Christ to friends, they’d laugh at me I’d fear.
No time, no time, too much to do,  that was my constant cry,
No time to give to souls in need; But at last the time, the time to die.

I went before the Lord, I came, I stood with downcast eyes.
For in his hands God held a book; It was the book of life.
God looked into his book and said “Your name I cannot find.
I once was going to write it down… But never found the time”

Ecclesiastes 9:11 (KJV)
11 I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.

Habit #2 – Make your days count

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On June 17, 2009

In 7 habits, Christian

Covey’s Habit #2 – Begin with the End in Mind
Christian Habit #2 – Make your days count

The Bible counsels that God’s people perish for lack of vision (Proverbs 29:18). We all plan ahead when we take a vacation. We plan our work activities and the activities of our children. In fact, the first thing that most of us do, when we wake up each morning, is we plan out the activities we intend to do for that day. However, seldom is this planning extrapolated into our Christian lives.

Most of us live in a manner as if we will live permanently, amassing wealth and materialistic blessings (and there is nothing wrong with that), however, let us not forget that our final destination is heaven, not earth. In God’s economy, what we do for ourselves counts to be nothing, but what we do for him and his people, even the least of the brethren, great is a reward – heaven (Matthew 25:34-40).

My brother, Remo, who is a full-time missionary with Reaching Hand Society, serving Jesus with my mother, Dr. Iris Paul, in state of Orissa, India,  once shared with me that working for Jesus Christ, is as follows – The work is hard, the pay is low, the hours are long, but the retirement benefits are out of this world (literally). How true? Let’s remember to focus on beginning with the end in mind, making our days count.

Point(s) to ponder:

Are we living our lives in such a manner that

  1. those who remember us after we are dead and gone, will remember the God we served?
  2. we are investing in the lives of others, leaving behind a legacy and not necessarily an inheritance?
  3. our treasures are being stored in heaven and not on earth? (Matthew 6:19-20)
  4. our days count?

Lord, teach us to number our days (Psalm 90), make them count. Let us remember to live with focus on the end in the mind. Has anyone, ever see any titles like CEO, President, Vice President, Manager etc on tombstones? There are no titles on epitaphs.

To be a highly effective Christian, we ought to be in the will of God and his plan for our lives and live it accordingly so that we make each of our days count.

For a related reading, see Teach us to number our days.

Proverbs 29:18 (KJV)
18 Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.

Matthew 25:34-40 (KJV)
34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

Teach us to number our days

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On June 4, 2009

In Christian

When man was made in the image of God, from the dust of the ground, God breathed into man the breath of life and the Bible records that man became a “Living Soul” ((Genesis 2:7). The translated word ‘became‘ implies that, that which was not living (dust of the ground) is now living (man). The curse placed on man, upon his disobedience to God (sin in the garden of Eden) was that “from dust we are and to dust we will return” (Genesis 3:19) and the LORD God said, man may try to take and eat from the tree of life (in the garden) and live forever and hence banished man from the garden, with no access to the tree of life. (Genesis 3:22-24)

When we die, our souls depart (Genesis 35:18) from this earthly enclosure we call bodies and goes to be with the Lord (to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord; 2 Corinthians 5:8), until the appointed time, when the earthly body is transformed (1 Corinthians 15) from being ephemeral to eternal, so that it can be judged, each according to what he/she has done (it is appointed unto man to die once and then enter into judgment; Hebrews 9:27).

It is noteworthy to recognize that we are made a living soul, not a living body. Each of us have an appointment to die. Each of our days are recorded in God’s calendar. In fact, even before we were formed in our mother’s womb, we were in the mind of God, known by Him. Our bodies are merely ephemeral jars of clay that hold in it the eternal soul. But while we are still alive, we try to live as if we are going to be live forever. We live as if our bodies are eternal (Living Bodies) and not our souls (Dead Souls).

God’s plan is that we live as Living Souls and Dead Bodies (i.e., sacrificing the desires of the flesh, as a living sacrifice). The Psalmist says, “Teach us to number our days” (Psalm 90) and this does not mean that we need the Lord to teach us not to count our days, but instead, it means that we need to ask the Lord to make our days count.

Every day, in which we live for  God as a living sacrifice is a day that will count in God’s account. Let’s each learn how to make our days count (the short time we have on earth, in our bodies).

Kingdoms come and Kingdoms Go
But through the Word of God, I know
When all in life is done and past,
Only what is done for Christ will Last

P.S: This post was inspired by the children of dear friends (Esther Boyalapalli, Ashton Mathew and Aaron Williams), each fighting cancer. I pray that you keep these loved ones in your prayers. Please feel free to post the links of family and friends that need support and prayers.

Psalm 90:12 (KJV)
12 So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.

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