To Be Continued: The Greatest Illusion

“My times are in Your hands.”

I wholeheartedly echo David’s sentiments from the book of Psalms. While I have ideas about my future, it ultimately rests in God’s hands. A few weeks ago I began a new series called To Be Continued. In it, I’m covering important topics that aren’t always addressed. Today, I feel it’s finally time to talk about time.

In my mind, the greatest illusion this world offers us is time. On one end, the world blasts us with “life is short” messages, usually to help them sell something. And on the other hand, the world creates devices, apps, activities and things that are meant to suck away our time. And if we’re not careful, we’ll one day find ourselves out of time with no eternal merits to our name.

Today I have a question for you. But not just any question, a Would You Rather question. Would you rather invest your time in the world and yourself until you die (maybe another 80 years), or invest your time for Jesus now and for eternity? Yes, the former is easier in the moment, but the latter will pay off in the long run. 1 John 2:17 (NIV) declares, “The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.”

Allow me to throw a couple of oxymorons your way.

Time is short and long.

Albert Einstein once said, “Time is an illusion.” He was right. Time is only relevant to the observer. I’ve had days that dragged like weeks, and days that went by in what felt like minutes. The one thing holding it all together is God. For time to be relative, it must be relative to something or Someone. God created time, and He graciously gives it to us.

In return, He asks that we use some of it for His glory. I don’t know how long my life will last, but I know I’d hate to waste it. How will you use the time God has given you? Remember, it’s a gift, that’s why it is called “the present”.

However, it’s a gift that will run out here on earth. And the devil knows this; he knows that the longer procrastination wins, he wins. So if there’s something you’ve been meaning to do, do it. To quote William Penn, “Time is what we want most, but what we use worst.”

You get to decide how you’ll invest your time. The world tells you one thing, and God tells you another. You must decide who you will listen to.

Time is fast and slow.

I have memories of events that happened years ago that feel like they were yesterday. Time really does seem to fly. And if we’re not careful, it can fly by much too fast. God desires that we spread His message to all ends of the earth – and that includes remote tribes – but it also includes our schools, workplaces, sports teams, friend groups, families, and so on.

The danger of speeding through life is that we never get a grip on reality. The busier our lives get, the more our true priorities shine. Whether your life feels slow or busy, please keep your priorities in check. I pray that list includes Jesus right at the top. As Charles Buxton said, “You will never find time for anything. If you want time you must make it.” This applies to hobbies, activities, passions, and also to faith.

If Jesus matters to you, and if spreading His message matters to you, use your time to seek Him. Read His word, pray to Him, and show others His love.

Life is pointless and full of meaning.

Ecclesiastes 1:2 (NIV) says, “Meaningless! Meaningless! … Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.” This verse tells us that nothing on earth matters, so we should do whatever we please, regardless of how it affects others. We should live selfishly, because if there is no God, there’s no one to hold us accountable.

I’m joking. Ecclesiastes goes on to say that everything is meaningless…in comparison to knowing God. There are belief systems and countries that think life and time hold no value. If you care to see how that viewpoint plays out, look at the GDP of said countries. Truth is, there is value to life, and therefore the time that makes up that life. That’s why it saddens me to hear about needless death and destruction.

Yes, many of our actions and interactions can seem meaningless, but the people we interact with are of tremendous value. Life and time have worth. God made them, after all.

Life is forgettable and worth remembering.

Dale Carnegie said, “Remember, today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday.” Oof. The Bible reminds us not to worry about what the future holds, since it all rests in God’s hands (Philippians 4:6).

While you may forget much of what you do, someone else may not. A simple act of kindness or love can make an incredible difference in the life of another person. We can’t keep stumbling through life, rather we need to invest our time where it matters. I want to live a life that myself and others will remember in a positive light.

We have so much time until we don’t.

Proverbs 27:1 (NIV) declares, “Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring.” We think we have time. We think there’s time to bring others to Christ. We think there’s time to do that thing we’ve always hoped to do. This isn’t always the case. Don’t. Let. Procrastination. Win.

In his book The War of Art, Steven Pressfield says, “We don’t tell ourselves, ‘I’m never going to write my symphony.’ Instead we say, ‘I am going to write my symphony; I’m just going to start tomorrow.’” Replace “write my symphony” with whatever it is you’ve been putting off. Then pause and think about what those words mean.

We think we have time. How about instead of thinking about time, we spend our time doing the things we’re thinking about?

Live life recklessly like it matters.

I love the song Reckless Love by Cory Asbury. It’s an awesome reminder that God is always pursuing us and wants a relationship with us. Contrary to what you may think, God is not “reckless”. God just loves us so much that it appears reckless. What if we too were to live “recklessly” for Christ? Not stupid recklessness, but dedicated recklessness.

This year has given me a greater appreciation of the finiteness of time. After scary health circumstances with several of my grandparents, I’m reminded of the value of life. God values life, and He values the time that makes up that life. My challenge for you is to use your time well. If that means living for Jesus, do it. If it means devoting yourself to a passion and glorifying Jesus through it, go for it. And even if you aren’t a Christian, I pray you won’t let your time go to waste.

Please don’t forget to appreciate the One who gave you that time. To quote Steve Jobs, “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life.” I know we’re all busy, and there are times when wasting time seems like the best option. But there are people out there who need to know God. If that’s the only thing you take away from today, please remember it and ask yourself, “Is XYZ really the best way to spend my time?”

Yeah, I know I’m not perfect, and there are many days when I mess up. However, as author James Clear says, “The goal isn’t perfection – the goal is to win more often than you lose.” We can choose to use our time the way the culture sees fit and chase the things of this world, or we can chase Jesus.

Don’t be disillusioned by the world’s illusions surrounding time. God reigns over all time and gives it generously to us. And the craziest part: we choose how to spend it. Just remember, one day the bill will come due.

We all have time. What separates us is how we use it.