Random Thoughts - How We Spend Our Time

I have to ask myself: What is the focus of my life? What are my habits? What are my hobbies?

You too….What do you read? What do you spend time doing? What is/are your hobbies? What conferences or workshops might you attend?

How do we spend our time that indicates our interests?

If think about my friends and my own habits, I might list; The local football team, quilting, walking every day, watching tv, writing, reading fiction, conferences to advance a career. Yes, much ministry to others. Shopping is a recurring theme. Caring for grandchildren.

Someone once said that to see the focus of your life…look in your checkbook (pretty old fashioned now), or you bank statement and see where you have written checks.

I believe my fiends and I are pretty run-of-the-mill women. I am not super-spiritual but it is my habit to get into the Word at least an hour most days. It is my habit. It is my “hobby’; sorry if that sounds disrespectful to God’s Word.

I believe that I have NO EXCUSE not to be in the Word every day. I am retired with no family. I have much time on my hands. I have NO EXCUSE not to be in God’s Word every day.

I look around me at some of my friends, and the ladies in church. Many are retired and fill their time with luncheons, social networking on the computer, tv, and reading the latest romance novel. Several complain that they have ‘nothing to do’ and that the world is passing them by – they are bored, etc… I am amazed. Precious time wasted when they could being doing something constructive.

One of my friends, with a husband and grown son living with her….is bored with life. The only time she seems happy is when she is “hanging out with a friend’ as she calls it. Good grief…she is 69 years old, has a home, husband and children…and is bored with life, and only happy when she is ‘tied to the hip’ with one of her friends.

Obviously she has some major issues at home…but….she still could find something constructive to do. Maybe spending time in the Word, and time with her husband would help.

The point of all this rambling is… as Christians we need to be in God’s Word. We need to learn about God, and learn how He wants us to live….even as senior adults.(I am really bothered by senior adults who say…I have studied it al before, I know it all already.”

With all the free time in the life of most seniors who are complaining….. what about spending time in Gods Word? There is great comfort in Gods’ Word. There is great insight in Gods’ Word. There is drawing closer to our Father in God’s Word.

Why is spending time in Gods’ Word, the last thing most people think about as a way to spend time. Hobbies. Shopping. Out with the girls….there is nothing wrong with all this but then…in Sunday School class, when the teacher asks, “ok who studied the lesson for the week?” very few hands go up.

It is a shame. I am sure it is a sin. God says that we are to be good stewards of our time. What about the minutes…hours…that we can never take back; that are lost. What about spending time in God’s Word?

Ok, someone will say…not everyone can read. “Can” read is the key. Most of us can read and understand. We just chose not to.

Someone will say…”I don’t like to read.” Too bad…get over it… You don’t want to see what God has to say to you? Gods Word is written for us. Too bad if you don’t like to read…do you want to hear from God?

Prayer can be a great part of wanting to be in the Word. Just pray and ask God to make you want to read His Word…but mean it.

I remember many years ago…I remember the exact place, the exact moment that I prayed, “Oh God please help me. I know you want me to read your Word. I just cannot understand, much-less, like, the Old Testament. Please God give me a heart to read the Old Testament.”

Little did I did I know what I was praying. Since that time I have been in the Word every day, much of it in the Old Testament.

Also since that day I have been back to school. At the age of 55 I studied and received my “MRS”.. Masters in Religious Science…and, at the age of 60, my “D.MIN”, Doctorate in Ministry (with emphasis in the Bible). I did not take these courses with the idea of a career…I took these courses for my own understanding…and God has greatly blessed me.

When we are children we are forced to go to school. We are forced to study to pass exams and to get our diploma. As adults we are on our own. No one can force us to sit down and open the Word of God. What a shame!