Monday Morning Blast – August 25, 2014
O.K…I believe that I have the right day…it is Monday! LOL! After I sent my Monday message last Thursday, I had a few comments about how we do not need another Monday in any given week. I certainly agree…but it got me thinking about time in general. Recently I read this comment by a brother in the Lord on his blog, “my problem is that I have surrendered my time to work, to other people, and to bad habits.” I know that I am guilty of this same kind of “surrender”. I close every week with this reminder that every day is precious; if we live a full life we each have approximately 27,000 days on this earth. However, Men of Intention know that they must first surrender their time to God; He owns it anyway! Our task is to manage properly what has been entrusted to us until he returns or wants it back, including our time.
I love this illustration: think about a compass and a clock. Two very important tools, but two very different instruments. One would be wise not to confuse the two. To surrender our time to God is to be governed by a compass rather than to be controlled by a clock. A compass provides a sense of direction, purpose, vision, perspective, and balance. A clock measures duration, the expenditure of time. A compass determines effectiveness-doing the right tasks. A clock determines efficiency-how long it takes to accomplish a task. Both have their place. But, the compass must come before the clock, therefore, effectiveness before efficiency. The “mega priorities” of the compass subordinate the “mini priorities” of the clock.
The compass (Holy Spirit), therefore, becomes a symbol of an internal guidance system that provides us with our values and convictions based on God’s Word. This non-negotiable governs our lives. In the same manner that the gravitational force pulls the compass needle; it is God that governs the drive of our lives. We surrender to his force.
Our time should be/must be surrendered to God daily. If we INTENTIONALLY give our first minutes to God, then commit the remainder of the day to His Lordship, I believe we will find that we will work more effectively and efficiently throughout our days. The principle of giving to God first applies in all areas of life. If you have not done so already…memorize Matthew 6:33.
