“For you do not only waste time by doing nothing or even by doing something you know is wrong; you also waste time when you do a seemingly “good” thing that God has not asked you to do.”   François Fenelon

In these troubling times, it’s hard to figure out what is right or wrong, whether to hide or venture out. Everything is uncertain. I’ve experienced periods of feeling paralyzed. Have you? Is it the disruption of routine that leads us to freeze? I feel befuddled as I try to figure out how best to use my time. My motivation is waning. When this COVID 19 crisis and accompanying lockdown started, I quickly made a list of things to do around the house. After a week of focus, the list was essentially complete; every drawer and closet in the house organized. Now what?

As a financial advisor, I’ve spent many, many hours talking with people about life and it’s hard to ignore the clock. Most people feel the press of time as they reach their upper 50’s. A number of years ago when talking with a man about his plans for retirement, he joked “the fuse keeps burning!” It struck me and has been part of my vocabulary ever since. It’s so easy to get caught up in the day to day that we lose track of the fuse. Our time here is limited.

“Seventy years are given to us!
Some even live to eighty.
But even the best years are filled with pain and trouble;
soon they disappear, and we fly away.”
Moses in Psalm 90:10 (NLT)

These days some of us may live to be 100. Still, the fuse keeps burning. Do you feel time pressing? Should you?

The writer of Ecclesiastes has a way of “clocking me” (pun intended!) on the side of the head.

“Better to spend your time at funerals than at parties. After all, everyone dies—so the living should take this to heart.”
Ecclesiastes 7:2 (NLT)

Not to be morbid, I certainly am not, but this does give perspective. He says “take this to heart.” For me, it brings to the surface the thought that…

“I must be sure not to waste my time while I’m here….my fuse keeps burning.”

Enter the quote from Fenelon. (Such a thought-provoking writer. Perhaps this is why God gave us monks?)

Honestly, it’s hard for me to sit and do nothing, just ask my wife Sue. She says “You’re always busy doing something. You never just sit and take a break.” Deep within me I must have programmed in that if I’m busy, I must not be wasting time. According to Fenelon, this definition falls short. Ugh…. Now I realize that, though “busy”, I waste a lot of time…and the fact is, my fuse keeps burning.

I suspect most of us don’t go out to intentionally spend time doing things that we know are wrong, but how easy it is to go out to do something “good”! How could doing something good be wasting time?

“Don’t be afraid to give up the good to go for the great” John D. Rockefeller.

The great things of life are often neglected. We waste time doing good at the expenses of doing great. God calls us to live our lives to do great, not good!

“I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. ¹³ You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. ¹⁴ Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it!”
Jesus Christ in John 14:10-14 (NLT)

Jesus was so adamant about us doing great things for his kingdom, greater even than what he did, that he challenged us – “Ask me and I will do it.”  Oh, if we would just ask…What great things we could do for the kingdom? I wonder which good things we are doing now would drop to the curb.

I was praying this morning as part of my daily devotional. I had just read Psalm 84 and this verse struck me:

“What joy for those whose strength comes from the Lord,
who have set their minds on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem.”
Psalm 84:5 (NLT)

Joy comes to those whose have their minds set on Heaven. The thought came, “Great are the enduring things that end up in Heaven.” So, I attempted to make a list of everything I could think of that would make it to Heaven. Everything I listed kept pointing to one thing—Souls. I concluded:

Great is anything that helps souls make it to Heaven.

Perhaps it’s time to do a time check…. How could you spend more time doing great things? How could you waste less time? Remember, your fuse keeps burning.

I have come to understand that God has placed you right where you are, at this time for a reason – to do great things for the kingdom of Heaven. In fact, your God created ability combined with all of those experiences you have had, especially those not so good ones, have prepared you to do great things in such a time as this. You have a unique reason for being here right now – your Life Mission.

“Mordecai sent this reply to Esther: ‘Don’t think for a moment that because you’re in the palace you will escape when all other Jews are killed. ¹⁴ If you keep quiet at a time like this, deliverance and relief for the Jews will arise from some other place, but you and your relatives will die. Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?”’
Mordecai speaking to Queen Esther in Esther 4:13-14 (NLT)

Your Life Mission is succinct, personal and directional; pointed right at the great. Do you know what it is? Unfortunately, most do not. It gets buried in wasted time. Your fuse keeps burning, time is of the essence. Embrace the Mission Curve™ process, align your life with your Life Mission and launch yourself on the great Adventure God Made You For. Let’s talk.

Go to www.bobblackcoaching.com to schedule a free consultation.