By Bishop Gabe Abdelaziz
Time. Time is the greatest commodity given to mankind.
Ephesians 5:16 tells us to walk wisely and not as fools, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Understanding that, what are we doing with the time allotted to us? We should not waste valuable time on constant foolishness. Place value on time to really live, enjoy life, build relationships, and get to know your Creator.
Time is a constant. It has no ending, yet our time — our life — has an expiration date. It is interesting that time is both temporal and eternal. Dr. Leslie Weatherhead, in his bookTime for God, offers a mathematical calculation comparing a lifetime of seventy years with the hours of a single 24-hour day. He says if you are 15, the time is 10:25 a.m.; at 20, it’s 11:34 a.m.; at 30, it’s 1:51 p.m.; at 40, it’s 4:08 p.m.; at 50, it’s 6:25 p.m.; at 60, it’s 8:42 p.m.; and at 70, it’s 11:00 p.m. Though calculated at seventy years, no one knows how long they will live. It is imperative to understand that life should not be wasted.
The clock of life is wound but once,
And no man has the power
To tell just when the hands will stop
At late or early hour.
The present only is our own,
So live, love, toil with a will.
Place no faith in “Tomorrow,”
For the clock may then be still.
— Robert H. Smith
During the time you have spent reading this article, many people were born and many have died, yet you are still here to enjoy and live another moment.
Some things to remember: the value of time, the pleasure of working, the power of kindness, the virtue of patience, the love of family, the forgiveness of God, and the length of eternity.
Your story isn’t over yet — you have a great deal to write. On a tombstone, there are three important things: two dates and a dash in between. God is the Author of your birth date and your death date, but you are responsible for filling in the dash. The dash is your story. It is not too late to write or edit that story. You can turn it into a delightful one as you recognize that He is a loving God full of grace and forgiveness.
However, the story doesn’t end at that second date.
Ecclesiastes 3:11 says that God has put eternity in the heart of man. This means there is a yearning to know and find God. No matter man’s struggle, God has written man into His plan. Jesus said in John 14:2b–3, “I go to prepare a place for you ... I will come again and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.”
I urge you to enjoy life to the fullest and know that God the Father and Creator loves you deeply. Through Christ, provisions have been made for you in heaven.
Pastor Gabe Abdelaziz is an independent columnist for The Atascadero News and Paso Robles Press; you can email him atalphabeth@tcsn.net