“What have I been doing for two months?!” was the first thought I had when I opened up my laptop to write a blog entry and saw that my last post was two months ago. Fortunately, I’m a chronicler so I can look back through my calendars (which I have kept since high school – no joke) and account for my time. This was helpful as I frantically wondered – Where did two months of my time go?
It’s been the start of another school year, and as a teacher, that alone is sufficient evidence as to where my time has gone. (Any other teacher will laugh and sigh in agreement.) In addition to teaching five days a week, the last eight weeks have also held two weddings of former students (one my husband discipled and one I discipled), family in town for two weeks, a practice or game every day between my two sons, three major events for school outside of the school day, one kid with a fever followed by the other kid with a fever, two different student retreats for me, a lovely visit from a dear college friend, construction in our basement from a pipe that burst, being over at friends’ homes for dinner, having friends over for dinner, high school ball games, filming for a high school media production, getting away to the mountains for Fall Break, going to a SEC game out of town, attending a fundraiser for my husband’s job, and more family in town for a weekend.
I don’t think God is concerned whether or not we keep track of time on hard copy calendars or through posts (as long as what we’re doing honors him), but I do think God wants us cognizant of how he views time. I was reminded today in class how God views our days here on earth. There is no sugar coating this. He very simply states that the time in which we live is evil.
Galatians 1:3-4 says, “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father.” According to these verses,
- Jesus gave himself so that believers would be what?
- Believers are rescued by Jesus from what?
- Why did Jesus give himself as a sacrifice?
- This rescue was done according to what?
God sees the present age as evil, and he tells us it is his will to rescue us from it.
I have to ask myself – Is my heart aligned to his will for rescue from this evil age, or am I just busy?
Ephesians 5 verses 15-16 shed light on my question. The verses read, “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.” My heart being aligned to God’s will for rescue, I believe, looks like me wisely walking through this time he’s placed me in. If I’m honest, I think my mind is wrapped around accounting for my time rather than being rescued from this evil time in which I live. I need to be more concerned about wisely walk in this present age because it is evil.
Are you wisely walking with Jesus? What does that look like to you? If you need direction in what life looks like walking with Jesus, go back to Ephesians 5 and read verses 1-21. Make a list of all that is mentioned in these verses about walking as children of light. Look at the list not as a checklist, but as reasons for why you need a Savior.