36,793,000 that is your legacy. How will you use it? 28,678,500 must go on essentials, you have no choice, the rest must last a lifetime. How would you use it? The figure is the number of minutes of your life. On average 12,264,000 you will spend asleep, 9,516, 000 will be spent engaged working and travelling, 6,898,500 you will spend eating and taking care of your personal needs. Do you have a hobby? Do you go visiting friends and do all the myriads of other things we find to fill our lives? On average that can take up 6,132,000 leaving 1,981,500 minutes spare for God. 5.38% of your time for the one who is who is your life!
The reality is maybe we give even less time for reading, for prayer, for study. Paul exhorts us to redeem time - "See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil". Eph 5:15-16
How do we spend our time? Look at the world around us there are so many signs that Christ and the prophets spoke of coming to pass before our very eyes. Signs that should stir us up to prepare for the Lord’s return. Do they? Or have they lost impact through familiarity? John Thomas, Robert Roberts and all the early pioneers would have been jumping up and down with excitement at the things they saw with the eye of faith, being a reality. Compare our life style of comparative ease with only 40yrs ago, let alone 100yrs ago when such brethren were alive and we can see how easy it is to become complacent and spiritually asleep.
Peter warned of the dangers of losing zeal:
"First of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, "Where is this `coming' he promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation." 2 Peter 3:3-4
Peter does not speak of those in the world, but of those in the ecclesia’s who will cease to look forward, feeling at spiritual ease and safety.
Watch! The time is short your precious minutes are ticking away, evaporating as precious water in a desert. "What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes." James 4:14 Jesus told us to be prepared, saying "Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come." Watching is about preparing character, putting faith into action, striving to emulate our Master. We will face many trials in these last days, they will grow worse. We need to be and indeed must be prepared. We read "those will be days of distress unequalled from the beginning, when God created the world, until now--and never to be equalled again. If the Lord had not cut short those days, no-one would survive". Mark 13:19 Yet great comfort is given for Christ continues "But for the sake of the elect, whom he has chosen, he has shortened them." Not ‘will’ but God already has shortened them. We have the sublime promise and "we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."
That is our privilege to be called out ones, heirs of immeasurably great and precious promises. Time ticks away, how do we show our appreciation of our calling? How do we spend our time? James writes "Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise" Our first thought in all aspects of life, should be for God and his requirements. To turn to him both in trouble and in joy. It is true to say we become like, and associate with, the things we value in life. Do we fill our minds with the things of this world? In which case we will become like the world and squander our time. On the other hand we can redeem our time and heed the words of Paul "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things." Philippians 4:8 Of course our Master is the ultimate example of all these things.
The cry shall soon come "Here is the Bridegroom" The angels shall go to gather the elect. How shall we react, we will be on our own then. Shall we go with thoughts of this life or go with fear and trembling, yet joyful anticipation of seeing our Lord at last. Our final minutes come, our probation is over. Our Master stands at the door, there is time no more. What will you think before the judgement seat? Of time well spent, of time redeemed, or of time wasted, opportunities lost, words unspoken, tasks undone. Are you spending your legacy wisely?
Andy P.