Making My Time Count

      By Fern Horst

"And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God." (Luke 12:16-21)

Becoming a child of God through faith in Jesus Christ is the most important decision we will ever make. But many Christians think that once they take that step, what they do with the rest of their lives isn't all that important, as long as they're not living in outright sin. But I've been struck over and over with the importance Jesus placed on what we as His followers do with our lives and with our time.

This is only one of the parables that Jesus used to drive home this truth. The man in this parable had been successful with his business, but rather than using that success for an eternal good, he horded all that he had gained so that he could retire without worry. His plans for the future revolved only around his earthly life.

His Heavenly Father saw his plans as foolish. This was a man whose focus was only on earthly personal gain. He completely ignored the fact that, in comparison to his eternal life, his life here on earth was just a drop in the bucket. After all his preparations for a life of ease, his earthly life was over. He now was required to stand in front of God and give account for how he used his time and opportunities.

Jesus used this sad account to encourage His disciples to make their lives count for God's Kingdom:

"But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you. Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." (Luke 12:31-34)

Where are we laying up treasures? Is it in dreams and preparations for this life only? Are we keeping the things of this life in perspective, separating what is eternally important from what is only earthly and temporal?

It's something I'm not always aware of as I should be. But the more I read the Gospels, the more I realize that it's serious business to keep my focus only on my earthly life. What is far more important is how I am preparing for eternity, and how I am encouraging others to make the same preparations.

© 2003 Fern Horst

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