The Gift of Time
The Gift of Time
The best Christmas gift Molly gave me this year was a gift certificate for a “date day.” We would both take a day off from work, get out of the house and just be together – all day. If that sounds like a strange gift, there’s two things you should know. One, we both work in ministry, which means we’re very busy and there’s always something ministry related we could be doing. There are always sermons to write and people to check on. The second thing you should know is that there’s nothing I want more than to spend time with Molly. I have enough stuff. I don’t need anything else. But time with Molly is a precious gift. She gave me the best thing she can give me, and the thing I most cherish, herself.
But what if I never used the gift? What if I chose to watch football, play video games, or shut myself in my office. What would I be telling Molly about the value of her gift to me? I’d be telling her that time spent with her is not that important to me. I’d be saying that I cherish other things more than time with her. She’d be hurt, because I rejected her gift.
God said in Exodus 20:4-6: 4 “You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath, or in the water under the earth. 5 You shall not worship them nor serve them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, inflicting the punishment of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me, 6 but showing favor to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.
Doesn’t that make God an egomaniac, demanding our exclusive worship and service, and threatening punishment if He doesn’t get it? Does God have some insecurity complex that He needs constant attention from us? No, that’s not it. The best gift God can give us is Himself. God’s love is a jealous love because He knows that what we most need, and the only rest and satisfaction we will ever find is in Him. Anything else we chase after, money, possessions, stuff, is only temporary, and can be idols that draw us away from what we really need, which is to be in relationship with Him.
We’ve just finished celebrating Jesus’ birth. Jesus is God’s Christmas gift to us. Most of the world will forget about Jesus now that they’ve taken down their Christmas trees and stored all the lawn decorations until next year. God doesn’t want a superficial December only relationship with His people. He calls us to deep relationship with Him daily. Once we’ve accepted Jesus as our Savior (that’s the very best gift you can ever receive), the next best thing God can give you is time with Himself. He offers us that to us every day.
Every relationship requires time. How can we know God if we don’t spend time with Him? Almost two weeks ago now, Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin collapsed on the field after suffering cardiac arrest. It was encouraging to see how the players cried on the field, and then prayed together. In fact, at every NFL game last weekend, players from both teams gathered at midfield, locked arms, held hands, and prayed before the game started. Often tragedy reminds us that we are not in control, and we desperately need God. This is the same NFL and fanbase that used to mock Tim Tebow when he would kneel and pray. Damar Hamlin seems to be well on the road to recovery as the NFL begins its playoff schedule this week. It will be interesting to see whether the players pray again or go back to business as usual.
It’s human nature to kneel before God when we are desperate and forget about Him when we’re not. That’s often why God allows suffering in our lives. Because the greatest thing God can give us, and at the same time, our greatest need, is Himself. I’ll only speak for myself. I could do better at carving out more alone time with God just to be with Him. Not for sermon prep, but quiet time. I have lots of tasks to complete every week and it’s easy to fall behind. I don’t want to neglect time with God. As soon as Molly gave me that Christmas gift, we checked our calendars and scheduled it because it was our priority. We went out to breakfast, took a long walk, went out to lunch, did a little shopping, and enjoyed each other’s company. What if I regarded God’s invitation the same way? One of my New Years’ resolutions is to consider time with God as a gift and a treat, and to take advantage of it as much as I can. After all, who else loves me so much that He gave His only son for me so I could have eternal life?