TimeSample

No more guilt

Time is one of the only non-renewable things in life. And yet it’s one of the easiest things to waste. Are you feeling guilty? Yep, me too. I often feel guilty about the ways I spend (or don’t spend) my time. It’s easy to get caught up in the checklist of things I ‘should’ be doing to make sure I’m a ‘good’ Christian: reading my Bible, praying, attending church, and prayer or Bible study groups, reading a devotional, journaling… there are so many ‘things’!

There have been seasons in my life where I’ve asked God, ‘Why did this situation go wrong? I’ve been doing all the right things!’ I know, right? That’s not how it works. But so easily, we think, if I give Him all my time doing these things, surely He’ll answer my prayers?

In John 11, when Jesus said, ‘Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if one walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him’ (vv9–10, NASB1995). I’m learning that this isn’t an example of Jesus saying, ‘Do better!’ It’s an example of Him demonstrating the power of living with and for Him. If you’ve given your life to Jesus, the light is in you. On the good days and the bad. And here’s the twist: He’s a good God, whether or not we spend our time wisely. He loves us, whether or not we spend ‘enough’ time with Him. He is our provider, our Father, and our Saviour, no matter how well we live or how many times we fail. And that’s the entire point.

Written by JONI BOYD