The Real Deal

I haven't had much of an appetite over the past few days.  I have had a bit of a stomach bug and haven't felt much like eating.  And when I have eaten, it has been predominantly carbohydrate-based.

 

I have had very little fruit or veg over the last few days; in fact, my Vitamin intake today has consisted of a Vitamin C fizzy tablet in water.

 

I'm sure it's still good for me, but it can't be as good as eating actual fruit and veg and getting the vitamins and minerals that way.

 

In the same way, I think I sometimes skimp on my 'spiritual food': I make do with supplements and 'tablets'.  I listen to talks and worship songs and I read books and blogs and all of these things are good.  But they're not the same as spending time with God myself.  They don't have the same 'nutritional value'.

 

If we want to know what God is like, if we want a relationship with Him, if we want to grow and change and become more like Him, we need to see Him.  And we need to spend time with Him.

 

And we do that through Jesus, who came to show us what God Himself is like:

"God said, “Light up the darkness!” and our lives filled up with light as we saw and understood God in the face of Christ, all bright and beautiful."

 

[2 Corinthians 4:6 MSG] 

 

Sometimes it's much easier and cheaper to pop a pill, rather than buying and preparing actual fruit and veg, but it's never as good.  It's not the real deal.  It's not as good for our bodies, or for our health.  And in the same way, spending time reading or singing or writing or talking about God is never as good as spending time with God.

 

 

 

Time Sensitive

I received a piece of post today which had the words 'Time Sensitive' stamped on the envelope.

 

It got me thinking about how most things in life are time-sensitive.  Or about how most of us are sensitive about our time.

 

There is never enough of it.

 

There are always things clamouring for our attention and our time: emails which are flagged as 'urgent' (usually with capitalisation for added effect); deals and offers which are only available for a limited period; and letters which remind you of how sensitive the issue of time is.

 

To ask someone for their time, or to be asked to give your time is a big ask.

 

We've all been caught out by the line, "It will just take a minute of your time", only to find ourselves nearly an hour later in the same conversation, or in the same meeting with no discernible end in sight.

 

Time is a precious gift.

 

No wonder we are sensitive about it.

 

The Bible encourages us to make the most of every opportunity and not to let our time be wasted and taken up with meaningless things:

"Don’t waste your time on useless work, mere busywork, the barren pursuits of darkness [...] So watch your step.  Use your head.  Make the most of every chance you get.  These are desperate times!"

 

[Ephesians 5:11, 15 MSG]

 

The most important thing we can do with our time is to spend it on getting to know God and understanding who we are in Him.  The Bible says,

"It’s in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for."

[Ephesians 1:11 MSG]

 

It is in Christ that we find our meaning and our purpose.  It is in Christ that we find our identity and our acceptance.  It is in Christ that we find God's love and grace and forgiveness.  And it is in Christ that we find the strength and the peace to live each day and to love others. 

 

Now that's a time-sensitive issue.