The Time of Your Life
By George Stroh, Senior Pastor
September 28, 2009
"Therefore, be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil." (Ephesians 5:16)
The older I get the more I realize that my most Valuable asset in this life is my time. When I was younger, it seemed as though I had a surplus of time to waste and, regretfully, I found ways to waste it. Now that I have more days behind me than in front of me, I understand the great value of time and the importance of being a good steward of whatever time remains.
Of course there are no promised days for any of us. God has our days numbered and He rules even over time--- "There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven... He has made everything appropriate in its time... (Ecclesiastes 3:1, 11a). But we are to be good stewards of everything God has given us-- our money, talents, spiritual gifts, opportunities and our time.
This past week my father-in-law, Jack Hart, went home to be with the Lord. Although we grieve our loss and miss him, my wife, Linda, and I also envy him. When Jack took his last breath in this life, he entered into eternal life with the Lord Jesus Christ. For a Christian like Jack, physical death means there is no more suffering, no more death, only incomprehensible joy and glory for eternity. As the Apostle Paul wrote, "Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison,... we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be home with the Lord.'' (2 Corinthians 4:16,17; 5:8).
There is one advantage those of us who are still physically alive have over Jack and all the other saints that have gone home to the Lord. We still have some time to remaining to trust and obey the Lord and, in so doing, earn more eternal rewards. All Christians will stand before the Lord one day at what is known as the "Bema" or Judgement Seat of Christ; "For we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad."
This judgement is not to determine whether we are going to heaven or hell. Everyone at the "Bema" or Judgement Seat of Christ is going to heaven based upon their faith in the Gospel of Christ. But our deeds, good or bad, during our life will be judged. There will be special, eternal rewards or crowns given by Christ based upon our faithfulness and obedience to Him in this life.
You and I still have time to earn more of these precious rewards and crowns and to make the remaining time of your life count to the glory of God; "Therefore, be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil." Maranatha!
