Two nights ago I went outside to jog, and while jogging I listened to the sermon from Desiring God: Clinging to Christ in the digital age. The sermon talks about our living in the digital time, using the screens, the challenges and the principal in the connection to our positions as believers of Christ.
Overall, this is a very deep and meaningful message. Tony Reinke, the preacher said,
The truth is that images aim to provoke something in us in order to extract something from us. New spectacles ask us for all sorts of things — our time, our attention, our outrage, our lust, our affections, our money, and our votes. Every picture, every video, every viral tweet brings before us needs, expectations, and desires. They’re all asking for something in return.
The porn industry wants your lust. YouTubers will give you new spectacles in exchange for your views and your likes. Netflix flat-out wants our most precious commodity: our time — deliberately and intentionally trying to intrude on our sleep patterns to extract even more time from us.
His words made me think. Our most precious commodity: our time. Our time. What is the most precious thing we have in our life? Is it our possessions, or our health? Is it our position, or is it our love? What is our most precious commodity?
A man can have gold or nothing. A man can have power or be suppressed. A man can be in pain or live freely. But what is this one thing that ties them together?
They all have time. All things won’t matter anymore when we have no time. When we have all the money in the world but without time, the money doesn’t bring us any further in life. When we’re healthy or even sick, without time, we are basically nonexistent. When we have all the power in the world, but our time is up – our power doesn’t count anymore.
The time we have now in our pocket – is actually not ours. Nobody ever pushes a button to start their own life, and God is the only One having the authority to call it over. While it looks like we’re in full control of this commodity of ours, but in reality God owns our time. Time is something we borrow from Him. Time is something lent, hence we need to use it responsibly and respectfully. Because it’s not ours.
Time is not ours, and yet we are all trusted with this amazing gift to hold and to utilize it using our free will. We are left to decide by ourselves how we’re going to use our time!
Many men can be in different states- some are rich and some are poor. But all of them have time in their pockets – to use, or to waste.
The ticking clock ticks for everyone: for the ones who are dying, for the ones who are crying, for the ones who are playing, for the ones who are working. The clock works all the same, the ticking moves all the same for everyone.
We can have all, or we can have so little that we feel very poor. But one thing remains – we have time. But the question is: will you rather use it? Or waste it?
This life of ours, belongs to God and so does our time belong to Him as well. The easiest way for us to return the glory to Him is actually by using the time wisely and well. Either to learn, or to work, or to love others. Use the time wisely because when we don’t, we’re actually stealing this time from Him.
Teach yourself the meaning of time, and seek the value of this borrowed treasure. Teach our children the preciousness of time. Time is borrowed by us. Time is lent for us. What is the value of time in our life? Have we used it wisely?
