Core Practice::Giving Away My Time

We give away our time to fulfill God's purposes.

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Colossians 3:17 (TNIV)

Here again is another example where context makes all the difference. The author of Colossians is the Apostle Paul. He has been forced to refute the doctrinal and practical errors of the false teachers that have made there way into the believing community at Colossae. While he does this, he makes a very compelling case for the significance of Jesus Christ in their lives. This is not a compartmentalized significance where Jesus is only significant on the days worship, but a holistic look at following this man actually makes a difference in your life. Paul recognizes that the life of a Christ-follower is a life "hidden with Christ in God," but this hiddenness should not prevent us from allowing this inward experience to prompt our outward relationships with each other. How we treat each other on a daily basis is more important than how we appear one day a week.

Here is the section (Colossians 3:10-17) where we get our core verse, written in The Message:

So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It’s your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it.

Let the peace of Christ keep you in tune with each other, in step with each other. None of this going off and doing your own thing. And cultivate thankfulness. Let the Word of Christ—the Message—have the run of the house. Give it plenty of room in your lives. Instruct and direct one another using good common sense. And sing, sing your hearts out to God! Let every detail in your lives—words, actions, whatever—be done in the name of the Master, Jesus, thanking God the Father every step of the way.

You see, I can show up for church once a week and never have to show proof of any of this, but there is no way that I can go about my daily life without being tested here. Paul is pointing us to an everyday relationship with the Living God. A relationship that effects "every detail" in our lives - Our work, our play, our vacations, our parties, our relaxing, our disciplining children, our coming home tired from work, our relationships, our neighborhoods, our workplaces, our secrets, our celebrations, our churches, our groups, our everything. Following Jesus is about surrendering our time to him. We recognize that our time is not ours to do with what we please, but rather it's been loaned to us by the Creator of Time, so we might participate in accomplishing His purposes where we live.

I can't imagine stepping up to the altar and saying, "I take you Rhonda to be my lawfully wedded wife, my constant friend, my faithful partner and my love on Thursdays, and only Thursdays, as long as we both shall live." That sounds ridiculous, but it's the way many of us live out our lives as Christ-followers. When you start seeing Christianity as a relationship rather than a religion, it only makes sense that we would give away our time to fulfill God's purposes.

This is not a call for volunteers at the Springs. This is the clarion call for all Christ-followers, no matter the church attended. We recognize that our time is valuable for more than just our pleasure. There is a purpose.

Related Core Beliefs: Stewardship, Compassion, Church

Resources: Years ago, I read a book called "In His Presence" by Ray & Anne Ortlund that helped me move along in this path in my life. It's a short read, but very helpful. For a bit of a deeper read, try "Practicing the Presence of God" by Brother Lawrence.

Kids Q&A

Kids Kreed: I love my neighbor by taking time to know them

Memory Tool: right hand points to left wrist, like it's a watch

How do you get to be a friend with someone? Friendship is built over time. The more time spent with someone, the better friends we become. It's important for our kids to watch us do this too.

Why do you think it's important to get to know the people around us? Geographical neighbors are important for simple reasons like safety and assistance, but also for more meaningful reasons. We may be able to help them and some day we may also need their help. Our time must be managed to allow for these kinds of relationships.