i'm not a huge fan of rushing. i feel as though i've spent the majority of my life in a state of hurry. from being late for school to running late for church to waiting till the last minute on homework or racing out the door to catch a flight i've done a lot of rushing over the years. i do a lot of it, and yet i continue my non-fan status. however....
i recently reread this passage in Romans 13:11-14 that says... in essence... be in a hurry. and i realized: i've been rushing about for the wrong reasons. i've been hurrying to pointless appointments. i've been striving and sweating over things that won't matter a year from now. a week from now... if ever! don't misunderstand me, i'm not saying that getting things done doesn't matter or we shouldn't try to be on time or finish projects in a timely manner. being a good steward of our days and our time is right and important for establishing the foundation of good habits, for cultivating a sense of honor and respect (of other's time and efforts) and developing the groundwork for goal-reaching. yes to all of that. what i am saying is that we need a shift to occur in our thinking... a dramatic corner-turning needs to take place in the way we determine our priorities. we need to take a hard right as we consider what is worth rushing around about. an eternal perspective needs to pervade our planning.
today, April 1, is the anniversary of the home-going of one of my best friends daughters. Yvette was just shy of her 11th birthday when she flew home to Heaven. that was 14 years ago. she has been in the presence of God the Father, experiencing fullness of joy and actual peace for 14 years. i imagine her cheering me on from the sidelines as i run this race toward home. oh to know what she knows! that this life is temporary. that our time here is brief, but that our time here counts. i wonder how she must long for us to realize the weight of our words, the bearing of our actions, the eternal significance of our minutes... and how we spend them.
we don't have as much time as we think. i'm not trying to be miss doom and gloom, just the voice of reason and reality. even if we live to be 100, the Bible says our lives are but a breath. and since we don't know at what age we get to go home, it's imperative that we use what time we do have wisely. love your neighbors, so when you're gone they'll have seen Jesus. be a light to your co-workers, so when they are sitting at your funeral they get it. lay down your selfish desires for your husband or your wife, so that your heart is free in the knowledge that you've been obedient to God. leave that lifestyle of sex on the side, binge drinking, gossip, and meanness, (the Bible calls it all sin; Romans 13:13) and live like others are watching. because they are. wear the name of Jesus with integrity and purpose. wake up. hurry up. other peoples lives depend on it.
i've chosen Romans 13:12 to memorize this month as my STANDard verse, but i will be mediating on the whole passage, from verse 11 to verse 14. it's serious. and as Easter approaches, i want to take eternity seriously. i want to live in light of the fact that Jesus died so i could live a life of peace and freedom here on Earth, but also so we can live forever with Him in Heaven.
"...the hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. the night is nearly over; the day is almost here. so let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. rather, clothe yourselves with the LORD Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.
Romans 13:11-14
*STANDard cards are still available for purchase! they come in sets of 12, one for each month of the year, consisting of 9 different unique designs created by local artists here in Montana. you can use them to write down a verse you'd like to memorize each month. feel free to join me in the verse i've chosen, or choose one that God has laid on your heart. simply send 10$ via PayPal to: officialcrystal@gmail.com (includes shipping)
