How do you decide what to do each day? For many, because of work or school or other commitments, there are only a few precious hours during the day when you have the luxury of deciding how you will spend that time. For others there is a greater opportunity to make choices for many hours every day. Rich Warren in his book, The Purpose-Driven Life, reminds us, “Time is your most precious gift because you only have a set amount of it. You can make more money, but you can’t make more time. When you give someone your time, you are giving them a portion of your life that you’ll never get back. Your time is your life. That is why the greatest gift you can give someone is your time.”
When Jesus started his 3-year public ministry, it is clear He knew from the beginning that every day was an important day to accomplish his mission. In the Gospel written by Mark, we quickly discover the urgency and dedication Jesus had to make sure He lived out His purpose and His passion. One of the fascinating observations you might want to make is the number of times Mark uses the phrases such as “at once”, “without delay, and “immediately”. Yet Jesus never seemed to be in a hurry. He always had time for individuals in need, for responding to His critics, and for preaching and teaching the people. He also had energy to get up early so that He could be by Himself to pray. As you read the first two chapters in Mark this week, why don’t you take note of the things that were most important to Jesus. What were the guidelines Jesus used to help Him decide how to spend His time? What did He want to accomplish day by day so that the people would begin to understand He was indeed the Son of God and the Son of Man?
In a world of distractions, interruptions, delays, and unlimited choices, what keeps you on track? How do your goals and your deepest desires impact the way you spend your hours and minutes each day?
What a great reminder that how we give our time away is so very important!