Where Does the Time Go?

Job 8:9 (NET) - For we were born yesterday and do not have knowledge, since our days on earth are but a shadow.

It is difficult to believe that autumn is already here.

October is but days away.

I have already received an invitation for Thanksgiving.

Even the local news reminds me that Christmas is less than 100 days away.

We often hear the rhetorical question "where does the time go?"

Once, while working on a project with a pressing deadline, my employer asked me that question.

He then looked at me as if he really expected an answer that question.

I simply replied, "it goes away."

Unsatisfied with that answer, he asked me a follow up question.

"How do we get it back?"

I laughed and asked in return, "If I had the answer to that question, do you honestly believe I would be working here?"

I still am not certain if he appreciated my humor.

The fact of the matter is that every time a second ticks off the clock it is forever gone.

Time moves eternally forward and we have no way to turn back the clock and reclaim it once it is gone.

Time also seems to move faster as we grow older, though I am convinced that this is more of an illusion than anything else.

As we have grown older we simply have more of a past with which to compare the passing of the present.

Speaking for myself, I am almost certain that I have fewer days on earth ahead of me than those I left behind.

Or, those that left me behind depending on one’s perspective,

Yet not a single one of us knows exactly how many days we will have.

My own family history provides me with an excellent illustration of that.

My mother who lived into her advanced years had a great deal of time.

My father who died when he was about my age had some time.

My brother who died in infancy had very little time.

Personally speaking, I am glad that I do not know exactly how much time I will have.

If I did, my human nature would relegate my life into nothing more than a countdown.

I would no longer be living. I would only be surviving.

The question then becomes how do we best spend the time we have left.

Jesus provided the answer when He was asked to single out the greatest commandment.

In His infinite wisdom, He gave a two part answer.

Mark 12:30-31 (NET) - "‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ The second is: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these."

Jesus knew that if we truly kept these two commandments, we would in fact be keeping all the commandments.

Also, He knew that in doing so we would be living our lives to their fullest.

In the end, the amount of time we have on this earth is of secondary importance.

It is what we choose to do with the time we have that matters most.

The choice is ours.

Do we waste this precious resource so graciously given to us by God?

Or, do we invest it wisely by giving it back to God and by loving and helping our neighbor?

If we do the latter, the return on our investment will exceed even our wildest expectations.


Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, October 4, 2013.
Please enjoy the contributions of my fellow Christian bloggers while you are there!
I’ll be back here on Friday, October 11, 2013.