Many of us fall into the trap of planning for the future while wasting the present. We talk about what we will do and how we will spend our years once we retire. But none of us knows the span of our existence (Proverbs 27:1, James 4:13-14, I Samuel 20:3). How do we deal with the pressure of time?
How do you invest the time you have been given right now? Psalm 90:12 says, “So teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” There never seems to be enough time to accomplish all we desire. The modern conveniences that were supposed to liberate us have failed. The leisure time we have is scheduled around the competing activities of children and parents, all vying for our attention. People are more hurried and hurried than ever.
Jeremy Rifkin in Time Wars said: “It is ironic that in a culture so committed to saving time we feel increasingly deprived of the very thing we value.” The stress and anxiety that comes from living in a time-conscious world even affects our health. Our nation has one of the world’s highest rates of high blood pressure. Ulcers, heart disease and strokes can often be linked to our fast-paced lifestyles. We even try to cram God in our time box. We talk about worship on a particular day of the week and on that day we limit our worship to an hour or so.
Plan for the future. But don’t leave God out.