The Time That is Given Them

In this first post on lessons from The Lord of the Rings, I want to begin with something Gandalf (the wise, older mentor for the other characters) said early on in the story:

Photograph: Warner Bros/AFP/Getty Images 

“All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”

~ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring

For followers of Jesus Christ,  it is of critical importance that we make wise choices on how we will spend the time God has given us.  Our Enemy, the Devil, knows this better than we do, and does everything he can to keep us from honoring God with the short life He has for us on Earth.  Not only that, but the pressures from a Godless culture and the trials of living in a world under the Curse can weigh us down, discourage us, and leave us feeling weary to the point of wanting to just sit down and give up the fight.

"Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light....put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires." Romans 13:11-14 

If you are a believer in Christ, I encourage you to decide today what you are going to do with the time you have been given.  None of us know how long we have to walk on the face of this Earth, but I can promise you that it is short in light of eternity.  The only reason you are sitting there reading this post and still drawing breath is because God has work for you to do here as His ambassador.  We are to continue in the ministry of Jesus our Lord, spreading His glory and making Him known in every corner of the world.  We can't let ourselves get distracted by chasing after things that really don't matter, spending the lion's share of our precious time on things that won't count for eternity.  Believe me, I am preaching to myself here.  

Sit down and spend some time in prayer, asking God to show you what it is He would have you to do right now, today.  Usually, that answer is fairly obvious, but we don't always recognize it (I'm a textbook example of this!)    

“Wherever you are, be all there! Live to the hilt every situation you believe to be the will of God.”

― Jim Elliot

Where does God have you right now?

What can you do in that situation to bring Him glory and honor?

How can you be faithful where you are? 

Whatever the answer to those questions may be, make this your motto:

"ALL at it — and ALWAYS at it!" 

"This was what John Wesley endeavored to impress upon all his followers — and this is what we would like to see impressed upon the mind of every Christian. We have much to do — and we have little time to do it in. We had need therefore, to be up and at it! Let us all go at it, and let us be always at it — until we hear the Master's voice calling unto us and saying, "Well done, good and faithful servants, enter into the joy of your Lord!" 

~ James Smith

One more thing... never let your present circumstances or the seeming lack of results be your indicator of success.  You may never see the fruits of you labor on this side of eternity.  You will struggle with feelings of insignificance, and you will have times when you grow weary doing good.  Don't lose heart!

Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

1 Corinthians 15:58

Keep up your courage, fellow believers!  Let the joy of the LORD be your continual source of strength, keep your eyes on the Savior Who is leading you, and let His love for you be the driving force behind the work that you do.

"I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live" 

Ecclesiastes 3:12