A common
statement is all too often we run out of paycheck before we run out of month.
For many people who have little if anything left in their bank account at the
end of the month, this happens on a regular basis. They make up the shortfall
by doing without or borrowing for an emergency. What if we substitute time for
money?
Each of us
is given 24 hours in a day and not a minute more. We are each given seven days
in a week and not one day more. Unlike money, there is no borrowing time from
the future to handle the moment’s crisis. When the time is filled, we have
nowhere else to turn. In the process we will have been burning the proverbial
candle at both ends and found ourselves exhausted, frustrated, and
disappointed.
Several
years ago a pastor friend of mine found himself in just such a situation. His
church was in a part of town where the population was growing at a tremendous
rate. Their attendance went from 125 to nearly 2,000 in a few years. The staff
of the church was increasing in size and responsibilities. The pastor found
himself occupied with meetings nearly seven days a week.
The pace
came to a halt when his wife confronted him and said, “Your family or the
church. You don’t have time for both.” Wisely the pastor confronted both his
staff and his church with the fact they could only minister effectively to the
church and community if they were ministering effectively to their own
families.
Where
meetings and programs had dominated the lives of the church staff night after
night, a new rule went into effect. Every staff member, including the pastor,
was restricted to seven evening meetings related to church work in each two
week period. These meetings included the Sunday and Wednesday evening worship
services. The pastor told the staff this would be their only warning. If he
learned they were spending more evenings out on church business than the
restricted seven in a two-week period, they would be immediately terminated. He
would not be responsible for causing them to lose their families.
Why does
anyone drive themselves so hard as to risk the relationships which should mean
the most? Two particular forces are at play. They are greed and worry. We want
more, and so we push ourselves to gain it. In the process we are blind to the
heavy price we pay for what we are seeking.
The pressure
may be from worry. Will we have enough? Will we be able to survive a crisis?
Will there be enough resources to allow us to retire? We worry about the amount
of material resources we may need and so we push ourselves to get ahead. Such
an attitude reflects the thought we have no one upon whom we may depend except
ourselves.
Jesus
assures his listeners this is not the case. Placing our faith in our heavenly
Father instead of our own plans and strength is the key.
Mat
6:31-33 "So do not start worrying: 'Where will my food come from? or my
drink? or my clothes?' (These are the things the pagans are always concerned
about.) Your Father in heaven knows that you need all these things. Instead, be
concerned above everything else with the Kingdom of God and with what he
requires of you, and he will provide you with all these other things.
The Apostle
Paul writes to the Philippian church words of reassurance.
Php
4:6-7 Don't worry about anything, but in all your prayers ask God for what you
need, always asking him with a thankful heart. And God's peace, which is far
beyond human understanding, will keep your hearts and minds safe in union with
Christ Jesus.
We as
believers are called to find rest in our faith in our heavenly Father. He knows
what we need. We must align our desires with the priorities of the Kingdom of
God. We will find rest for our weariness and peace instead of anxiety.
