Losing Time

March 11, 2021 — Krystal Craven
Devotional title text overlaying a stopwatch with a black background.

If you’re in an area that is affected by the Daylight Savings Time change, you’ve probably been seeing social media posts about how we’re “losing” an hour. This concept of time is rather interesting if you really think about it. Time has been going since the beginning when God created everything. It seemingly starts off slow when we’re children and then seems to go faster and faster as we grow older. Yet, we’re not ever really losing or gaining time because we all get the same 24 hours in each day.

However, how we spend our time determines a lot, which can be a loss or a gain in the grand scheme of life.

Think about your average day spent, with all the routines you have, all the responsibilities you have. Is there time in your day that is carved out to spend with Jesus in His word and in prayer? It’s important to remember that while God has good plans for us to give us a hope and future (Jeremiah 29:11), we’re not promised tomorrow or a definite lifespan here on earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them. (Psalm 139:16) Since his days are determined, and the number of his months is with you, and you have appointed his limits that he cannot pass (Job 14:5)

What then are we to do with our lives and the days, hours, minutes, and seconds that we do have breath in our lungs?

We were created for a purpose, to worship God. For some, when you read worship, you immediately thought singing praise songs. That is definitely worship, but if we look in the Bible, that’s not the only form of worship.

In the Old Testament, God had prescribed the ways He required the nation of Israel to worship Him through the prescribed sacrifices. However, when Jesus came and fulfilled the law, He said in John 4:23-24 But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship Him. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.

What does worshiping in spirit and truth look like? Paul explained it like this: I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. (Romans 12:1)

Instead of animal sacrifices of the old testament covenant, Jesus paid the final sacrifice for atonement of sins and we now offer up ourselves as a living sacrifice in worship. This means that every area of our lives should be worship. So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. (1 Corinthians 10:31) Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. (Colossians 3:16-17)

In light of our limited 24 hours of time that we receive when we wake up on any given day, are we living as if our lives, the entirety of our lives, are a beautiful and fragrant offering to God? So teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom. (Psalm 90:12)

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. (Matthew 6:33-34)

Think back over your average day. What could you rearrange in your daily routines and schedules or be more mindful of in seeking to be a living sacrifice to God with the limited time you have left on this earth, being worshipful in all that you do?