Do You Care? Time Will Tell

by Josh Duncan

I was reminded of a statement I recently made that went something like this, "If you care about something, you'll make time for it." For example, here in Knoxville, UT football is only a few months away, and people all across this state will be clearing schedules and making time to watch the game each Saturday. It's safe to say that people care about UT football because they make time to give their attention to it.

When it comes to following Jesus, your family, and being a part of the church, I've often heard people say things such as, "I care about my relationship with Jesus" or "I really care about the church" (the people, not the building or the service). However, I want to challenge each of us to wrestle with the reality of our situations. We often say we care, but do we prioritize our time to the things we say we care about?

Why time? Why is time the true test? Time is the ultimate test because time is the one thing you can't get more of unlike money or resources. We all have the exact same 86,400 seconds in a day. While there are some variables for each of us related to things such as jobs, essentially, we must choose how we will spend our time. As a result, how you choose to spend your time reflects what you care about most. (I understand some people must work multiple jobs to provide for their family, so scenarios like this are not what I'm discussing here)

So, give yourself a test as a follower of Jesus...

Does Jesus get a slice of your time on a consistent basis? 
Okay, I know Jesus is with you everywhere you go, and you should be sensitive to that, but everywhere you go there's usually someone else (kids, spouse, co-workers, etc) or something else (other cars, radio, cell phone, etc). When does Jesus get QUALITY time with you?  When do you shut off everything around you, read His Word, and spend time with Him and Him alone? Jesus cared about His relationship with the Father, and this is evidenced by the fact that He gave quality time alone with the Father on a regular basis (see Luke 5:16). If Jesus did this, do we really think it's optional or excusable for us to not do the same?

Do you spend time with your family?
When was the last time you had a real conversation with your spouse? kids? I'm not talking about a discussion over who should get voted off American Idol, but a real conversation where you are discussing life. When was the last time your family had your undivided attention both physically and mentally? It's so easy to think that because you're physically present that your're giving them your time. I can speak from personal experience and say that you're not present unless you're both mentally (mind is focused on them and not everything else you need to do) and physically there. The Bible says family time is where we make disciples and teach those closest to us how to follow Jesus (see Deuteronomy 6:1-9).

Do you spend time with your church family?
I'm not talking about merely attending a service where you may very well not talk to or interact with anyone. Do you regularly converse, encourage, and pray with other believers? Scripture gives a command to obey, not an option to consider, in Hebrews 10:24-25. The Bible says we are to love one another as believers. It's hard to express that love when you don't spend quality time with the people you're supposed to care about.

So, how did you do? Honestly, I need to improve some in each area. I'm challenging you because God's challenging me. It's time that followers of Jesus stop playing games and allow God to expose the imbalances and misuse of our most precious commodity, TIME.