S206P11 – How soon we forget: time is winding down

Gal. 6:9-10

And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.

He used to see this man every morning on the corner asking people for whatever they could give.  As he drove by in his car, he often would be thankful for the fact that he did not have to walk by that corner and be stopped by the beggar.  After some time, his gladness at not being bothered by this poor man turned into compassion.  He started thinking that perhaps he should give himself a little more time and actually stop that car and speak with this man.  Every morning, he thought of implementing this plan, but he had a reason not to do it each of those mornings.  He would convince himself that some time in the near future he would interact with the beggar and help him, but one day the beggar just stopped appearing on that corner.  His window of opportunity to bless that man closed in an instant.

We live in a world in which people think time is some unlimited commodity.  Sometimes, we live like the Gentiles and think that we always have tomorrow to get this done or start that project.  The truth is that tomorrow exists only according to God’s will, and this order of things one day definitely will pass away.  We have a finite window of opportunity in which we can bless the brethren and encourage those in our household of faith.  When we do that work, it is not just about blessing others.  Much more is accomplished in the spirit than that simple act of giving or service.  If we look at this correctly, we have a finite window in this life during which we can impact the spiritual realm for God’s kingdom through our work with others.  We should want to take advantage of that limited time and do good every opportunity we get.

There is so much for us to do until the Day of the Lord.  Some of us do not have more than a decade in this life, but others of us might be here for a century or more.  Either way, our opportunities for doing good are restricted by whatever a lifetime happens to be for us.  We should not feel relaxed as if we have all the time in the world to do good deeds.  If anything, we should feel a little pressure to do as much as we can before time is up.  It is not for us to be anxious or stressed about this, but we certainly must understand that time is of the essence here.  It is urgent that we practice our good service to the world and to the Church while we are able to do that.  Father, thank You for the opportunities You give us to operate in your goodness, and remind us to take advantage of each of those opportunities as they arise.