Do you look back fondly on what summers were like when you were in school?  I know I do.  Granted, there was a lack of freedom to some degree, but when you can wake up each day and your biggest “problem” is figuring out how to spend you time, you know it’s going to be a good day.  For most of us, those days are long gone.  In their place we’ve joined the rat race that embodies America, found a routine that works for us overall – A cup of coffee in the morning, quick breakfast, work, another cup of cofee after lunch, work, off to the gym, shuttle around kids, etc.  Time seems to move so much faster the older you get, “free time”, becomes the punchline of a joke.  Amidst all of this, you have competing priorities – work, school, relationships, family, organizations, church, and on and on.  We make more money, buy a house, a car, other things, only to realize that all of those things require upkeep that requires more of our… time.  In the eloquent words of the Notorious B.I.G, “mo money, mo problems.”

As you’ll notice, this is my second day in a row where I’m pushing out an email right at 5pm ish.  So trust me when I say, I’m right there with all of you, when I say that we all need to work hard towards setting boundaries with our time, such that God is our ultimately priority.

In Matthew 6:33, we are exhorted by Christ – “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness” and the other necessities of life will work themselves out by God’s providence.” 

Again, when Christ entered a town and was staying at a house with two women – Luke 10:38-42 – “Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”

Now I’m not saying not to go to work, or not to see to your family, these are all good things, given to us by the Lord, so that we would be sanctified, and He would to be glorified.  What my encouragement today is, is to look at your daily life.  Are some of the things that you’re treating as “necessities” as important as you make them out to be?  Would the world fall apart if you missed on ball game on TV, or one day at work?  Trust me, none of us are that important.  For your peace and joy, seek after the One Good thing given to each of us by the Holy Spirit, access to limitless joy in the relationship with have with Christ, our Lord.  Spend time to delight yourself in Him each day, and I assure you, your life will not suffer for it.

Grace and Peace,
Adam