“Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is” (Ephesians 5:15–17).By John David Hicks
There are many things in life that demand your time. You choose what you will give yourself to. God has gifted each of us with twenty-four hours in a day. Time is your most valuable asset. You can squander your money and may replace it in time. But your time, once you spend it, can never be regained. Time is priceless and cannot be replaced. The greatest gift you can give God or another person is your time. Life is short. Some of us have a few more days than others. Yet, none of us know how much time we have left. That is why the Apostle Paul reminds you to use your time wisely; don’t waste it on meaningless activities. Some things don’t matter in the light of eternity.
“Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.” What is important in life? What really matters? At the judgment, what will God hold you accountable for? Since “God is Love,” the most important thing to God is relationships; with God and man. When Jesus said, “Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven;” the only thing going to heaven is people. Relationships are what count.
How many times have we neglected our relationship with God or with others because of some worthless pursuit? The old King James Version says: “Redeem the Time.” In the Greek, the word “redeem” means “to buy up, ransom, or rescue from loss.” The Lord wants you rescue your time from loss. You can redeem today, but yesterday is gone forever. So focus on today. It is easy to be controlled by circumstances rather than what is important. Paul’s counsel to you is to “make the most of every opportunity.” That means that I must choose what is important. Each week I make a list of what needs to be done. Then I rate them ABC in priority order. Throughout the week I start with the A’s and then work in the others.
Procrastination is the biggest hindrance of time. It causes you to keep putting things off. So, I put a Nike sign on my desk: “Just do It!” Find what works for you and use it. When an opportunity comes, you must choose to seize it. Put it on your priority list and “Just do It!”
Let me illustrate the importance of “making the most of every opportunity.” My wife June had her fiftieth High School reunion this year. We had a great time and she saw most of her high school friends, but one close friend did not show up. This woman was unable to come because of pressing family responsibilities. The unfortunate result was that she missed probably a final opportunity to reconnect with old friends. This was something you can’t make up. That time and setting will not come again. She missed a great opportunity. When you miss a wedding, funeral, graduation or a thank you note you missed a great opportunity. Relationships that are missed can never be recovered.
Again, listen to Paul, “Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is” (Ephesians 5:15–17). Remember, the most important thing in life is relationships.
Christmas is “Opportunity Time!”
Report from Africa
My daughter, Sandra Lucas traveled to Burundi, Rwanda, and the Congo. Here is her report:
I am appreciative to everyone for their prayers and financial support given to me as I traveled to Goma Congo to do a pastor’s conference and to minister to rape victims. As you know this area of Congo is considered the “rape capital of the world” because rebel soldiers are terrorizing the population surrounding the city of Goma. Churches in Goma are facing many obstacles including these women who are traumatized, extreme poverty, an overabundance of orphans and widows and lack of resources of every kind. However, with all of these obstacles, the church remains optimistic, resourceful and a place of refuge for many people.
The pastors were excited to receive a conference in how to be more helpful to their congregations and families. I did a five day conference. The topics were : Day 1 – The Symptoms of Trauma and how to Recognize it, Day 2 – How to Help Someone who has Been Traumatized, Day 3 – Parenting Classes and how to Discipline without using Violence, Day 4 – How to do Couple’s Counseling and Day 5 – How to Talk to your Children about Sex and HIV/AIDS. Each day about 43 pastors attended and came from all parts of the district. We provided transportation, lodging for those who needed it, and at hot meal at noon.
The biggest obstacle came at the beginning of the conference because according to them I look like I am 20 years old. As you can imagine, listening to someone who is 20 discuss complex issues of trauma, parenting and couples counseling, they were somewhat skeptical. But as the days crept on, and my real age and experience became known, they were much more open and asked many questions. By the end of the week we had become good friends and had shared many stories and exchanged experiences. My respect and admiration for them is indescribable. To me it is amazing how people in the most difficult of circumstances can transform that pain into joy and be more celebratory than any church I have ever experienced in America.
But I was also struck by how unfair their lives are compared to mine. And as I said goodbye on my last day, I was fully aware that even if I were to return next year that some of these men and women may not be alive due to the circumstances they face in daily life. It is a sobering fact that we take so many things for granted in the U.S. And as I said goodbye, I asked if I could pray for them. We stood up and joined hands in a circle. I prayed that God would bless them, bless their families and bless their ministries. I prayed that God would place his hands on them and protect them in their disruptive and fragile land. And I prayed that God’s Kingdom would be realized sooner rather than later; that they would know peace in their country. And I prayed for the day that we would be reunited around God’s throne and how language and poverty and war will all disappear and we will just be one together.
Let us continue to pray for these pastors on the Goma District of the Church of the Nazarene. You may not know them by name, but God knows them. And they face incredible challenges on their district and in their churches. And I am grateful for the chance to bear witness of their strength and resilience. They have blessed me. So thank you to all who contributed and remembered me in prayer.
To My Prayer Partners
“God is love” is a revelation of the Holy Spirit. When you receive by faith God’s Love, acceptance and forgiveness, love becomes experience. Then love flows out of the relationship through you.
May the blessing of Christmas and the gift of love be your portion this new year. Thank you for your prayers and support (Philippians 4:19).
Your Brother in Christ,
John David Hicks