Time Wasters and Time Makers

I had an aha moment when I read this scripture: "Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for Him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways when they carry out their wicked schemes.” Psalm 37:7.

I don’t watch the news, but my Facebook newsfeed keeps me updated on the highlights of “wicked schemes” of people and it moves me to make part of my daily devotion time to earnestly pray for our country. Whatever side we may be on, we should diligently pray for God's wisdom to our president, Congress, and military leaders. They need our prayers even if they are not the candidates we voted for and even if we don’t like what they say and do. Interceding for those in authority is not an option. It is a biblical command: “I exhort, therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; for kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty." 1 Timothy 2:1-2

Here’s the good news. God’s perfect judgment WILL put things right! If we can believe in a God Who is going to execute judgment with perfect justice, then we can leave it in His sovereign hands and do what Jesus told us to do: “Love your enemies”! Whew! That’s the test. It’s a TIME WASTER to complain and moan the state of the world when we know the end of the Book’s WINNING outcome. So many of the world’s problems would be solved if people believed in the fact that there is a God Who judges justly and we can trust Him to put things right in the end.

Why, then, should we be worrying and fretting about anything?” The older I get, the more I realize the most precious time in life is when I spend it with the people I love the most. I love spending time with my family, my extended family, my church family, and dear friends. And, I like to think they like to spend time with me. That is the TIME MAKERS. Yet even more amazing to me is that God desires to spend time with me – especially when I’m in a “time maker” mode with Him and delighting in Him! In fact, He wants to spend time with you and me so much that He paid a hefty debt He didn't owe in order to get it. He sent Jesus to remove every barrier, tear down every wall and unlock every door so we could have a personal relationship with Him. In fact, He gave us His Word so we could hear from Him consistently.

God gives us unrestricted access to Him, anywhere and anytime. God wants us to get to know Him better so we can love Him fully, hear Him clearly and experience His guidance. This comes by spending quality time with Him instead of the news or newsfeed.

So today -- instead of wasting our time on fruitless thoughts and bemoaning the troubles in our world, let’s set aside time to spend with the One who is above all time and He sure makes our time beautiful. It will be time well spent.

It's Time to Make a Change

A blender is a necessity at my house. I make a lot of thick protein-packed smoothies and lots of thick milk shakes for my grandkids when they come to town. The blender gets a good work-out. I've gone through several because I always bought the lower-priced version -- thinking it would do, but after a few weeks or months, the machine just can't take the work-out it was not intended for, and, like the others, it sees its last days. Last week, I was making one of those yummy thick shakes for my granddaughter, and once again, the blender broke. This time I got the message loud and clear -- "CHANGE". Pay a little more and get one that will last. It took several trips around the same mountain of purchase cheap-o -- cheap-o breaks -- and REPEAT, before I got it. BUT, this time, I decided to bite the bullet and pay triple the cost of the ones I'd purchased before. To my wonder and amazement, when I made my protein smoothie this morning, my turbo charged, 700 watt, stainless-steel blade, wonder machine made the smoothie without labor and in 1/4 time it usually did before. I scolded myself for waiting so long to make the CHANGE.

I thought about Albert Einstein's famous quote "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results." It’s easy to cozy up to the comfort of traditional ways of doing things. It’s easy to find excuses about why things can’t be different. But the thing is, if we keep doing things the way we’ve always done things, we’ll keep getting the same things we’ve always gotten -- things like unhealthy relationships, passionless work, extra pounds, financial struggle, low self-esteem, a cheap-o blender!! What is it that we need to "bite the bullet" about today? How can life be different for us -- so different that we wake-up with a smile on our face, we feel light-hearted, and we get new determination to make a CHANGE!

If we want things to change—if we want different results in our life in any area—it's time to make a decision to CHANGE. It's time to stop the frustrations, the time wasters, the energy consumers and GET THAT NEW BLENDER, or the new job, or the new car, or the new perspective. It's time to make a CHANGE!

Worry is Like a Rocking Chair

In the words of the great philosopher, Erma Bombeck ...“Worry is like a rocking chair: It gives you something to do, but it doesn’t get you anywhere.” From first hand experience, I can tell you that statement is true. I've done my share of worrying.....and it never got me anywhere! I realized that it is a time waster, energy sucker, stomach nauseater, and a depression maker -- not to mention, that I disappointed God when I was a "Worry Wart" (Merriam Webster says that's a person who worries too much or who worries about things that are not important). But more than anything, it's admitting that I'm not trusting God to take care of the situations in my life.

"Cast the whole of your care (all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all) on Him, for He cares for you." (I Peter 5:6,7) I love that image! I've been doing a lot of CASTING for fish with my grandsons, but we keep reeling the bait back in. But in that scripture, it means CASTING the cares -- all of them -- on Him....and NOT reeling them back in. We CAST them to Him....and let go of them.

Now that I've learned my lessons well, when a worry starts knocking on my door.....I quickly put my heart and mind on HIM who is my worry-bearer. "Him I will keep in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on me" (Isaiah 26:3) I quickly go to His sweet place of peace and ease and comfort when I cast the cares, the worries and pressures to Him -- after all HE is the Prince of Peace so why should I worry or fret? And why should YOU worry or fret? He's sending a little love note to us right now: "My child, you worry too much! Remember? I've got this! Love, Your Dad (God)"