Growing up I can remember being so anxious to grow up and leave home so that I could do whatever I wanted. I couldn’t wait to be the boss. I would eat anything I wanted, anytime I wanted, go anywhere, with whoever I chose, and come home when I felt like it. I suppose this is the dream of every child who has ever felt hindered and oppressed by the rules and boundaries of their parents.
Well, the joke was on me! Come to find out, as an adult, there is never a time when we are completely FREE in this way. We are always accountable to someone. Many times I have had this conversation with my daughters, explaining “if we are at the library—it’s the librarian, if we are at the pool—it’s the lifeguard, even at our house we must obey the laws of the land with the police and the government as our authorities.” But, of course, beyond all these authorities, is God.
We have a resource in the children’s department of my church called “Who Will Be King? Two Ways to Live”. It starts out by asking this question–”have you ever wondered what it would be like to be in charge of your family? Or the boss of your school? Or maybe you’d like to be the king of the whole world and be in charge of everything?” It goes on to explain how God made the world and everything in it and therefore, He is in charge. The good news is He is not like a human king who makes mistakes or has evil motives. He is perfect and reigns with love and compassion.
What I love is that this resource presents the simplest explanation of sin I have ever heard. Sin is anytime we do what we want to do instead of what God would have us do. When we pretend that we are the king instead of God.
One of the simplest ways we do this on a daily basis is with the decisions we make about our time. Each of us is given 24 hours in a day. The question is “who do they belong to?” Is this day YOURS or HIS?
This is the question God posed to me recently. I called a friend of mine who is ahead of me in her walk (as a believer, as a mom, etc.) to ask her some questions about time management because, like all of us, I struggle to get it all done! Anyway, when I called my friend, I tried my best to boil down the problem into the simplest explanation. When we got off the phone I sat down with my journal to note the things God showed me during our conversation—Here are six of them:
1. As I spoke about my issue as succinct as possible, God showed me so clearly that my main problem in time management is REBELLION!
On the inside I am like a 2-year-old—I want to do what I want to do, when I want to do it and I don’t want anyone to tell me what to do! Maybe you feel the same way? It’s not something we SAY, but it is a heart attitude that the Lord can reveal and uncover when we get honest with the problem. In that moment I heard the Lord say to me:
2. “You’re not acting like a slave with a master.” WHAT? A slave with a master??? Morgan and I are studying the Civil War in 4th grade right now so slavery is not an appealing concept. So I search the word “slave” in the Bible and find that many of the New Testament writers referred to themselves as “slaves of the Lord Jesus Christ” and it’s obvious from the way they spoke that they considered it a privilege to be such. So I have been thinking over this concept, considering how a slave doesn’t do what he or she WANTS to do, they go to their master for instructions.
3. I lack submission and surrender to the will and plan of God.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 says that we are not our own and that we were bought for a price. In John 5 we learn that Jesus came to do the will of the Father, and he received joy from doing the work the father gave Him to do. He even said He didn’t seek to please Himself but only the Father who sent Him. This is our example to follow!
Rather than looking at my to-do list and selfishly asking “what would I like to do next” or “what would be the most fun for me?” (which is how I get into trouble all the time, doing what seems “fun” rather than what NEEDS to be done!)
4. I must train myself to ACT like a slave with a master by saying “Lord Jesus, what would you have me do next?” As I searched His word the scripture He brought me to was 1 Corinthians 4:1-2 which talks about being “servants of Christ.”
First I must start thinking like this, as a servant of Christ. As believers we have been entrusted with the gospel and we must “prove faithful” and one of the ways we can do that is by using our time wisely. Why would you and I want to run our day anyway? If I remember correctly, my life was much less fulfilling, enjoyable, and fruitful before I met the Lord! Besides, who knows better how my time should be spent for HIS glory than HIM?
5. I must train myself to STOP when I sense myself “taking over”
And pray “Lord I am doing it again…give me a heart for your plan, teach me to serve you”.
6. I lack self discipline in my time management. I give in to myself way to easily, I indulge myself way to often, the computer calls out to me so sweetly, then it gets a hold of me and won’t let go!! We all need to recognize those “time suckers” in our lives and submit them to our King!
The bottom line is this: if He is KING, then everything must come under His reign and authority, not just my time, but my finances, my relationships, my parenting, my thought life—everything! Every time I choose to “have it my way” I am in sin.
Have you recognized God as King in your life?
If you have would you prayerfully consider where you continue to “reign”?
How do you feel about the whole slave/master relationship?
Have you ever thought of your relationship with Jesus that way?
Does that idea make you uncomfortable?
Will you talk to Him about it?
Will you search the scriptures to see if you find it to be Biblical?
Who will plan your day for tomorrow?
Honestly, which way would it go better—your planning or His?
And finally. . . Is He trustworthy?
If you gave Him a whole day—what would He do with it?
What are we afraid of?
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