TGIF - The God of Time (Happy New Year!)

Many of you have crossed over into the new year already. Happy New Year!

As we in the US close out the year, let us resolve to make every minute count. It is the one thing we each have in equal amount.

If we have wasted time in 2008, let's redeem it in 2009. If we have neglected God, let's embrace Him in 2009.


The God of Time
TGIF Today God Is First Volume 2, by Os Hillman
12-28-2008

For there is a proper time and procedure for every matter, though a man's misery weighs heavily upon him (Eccl 8:6).

How we use our time is a good indicator of the god we choose to serve. There is a god whose name is "the urgent" that can rule our lives if we are not diligent. The wrong use of time can lead to misery. The right use of time can result in fulfillment.

"You need to take time to turn to God. Do not pray only when you have set aside time to do. The busier you are, the more you must practice turning to God. If you wait until the time is convenient, there is little doubt that you will end up spending little time with God. Try to come before God both in the morning and the evening. Pray during and between all your other jobs as much as you can. You cannot retire too much from the mindless chatter of the world. Learn to steal this time in little snatches, and you will find these moments the most precious part of your day" said Francois de Fenelon, a sixteenth century Christian leader.*

The amount of time we spend with anyone or any activity is a good indicator of the value we place on that person or activity. Time equates to money for some. For others it can be a cruel dictator. It is the physical evidence of what is at the center of our lives.

People can generally make time for what they choose to do; it is not really the lack of available time, but the will to set a priority for the time they have. Time can be the evidence that convicts our soul that our devotion has waned.

What does the evidence of time tell you about yourself? Today, give God the time needed to develop a relationship that is meaningful for both of you.



Reprinted by permission from the author. Os Hillman is an international speaker and author of more than 10 books on workplace calling. To learn more, visit http://www.MarketplaceLeaders.org

Commitment with a Cost

The Prayer Band that Started a Revolution

This prayer band has been declared illegal in China.

Chinese police have stopped people on the streets and taken the bands off their wrists. Some have been interrogated and arrested; at least three families were evicted from their homes—for the government, the prayer band is a symbol of revolution.

We thank everyone across the U.S. and around the world who answered the call to wear a "Pray for China" prayer band and pray during the Olympics. Your willingness to stand with Chinese house church Christians encouraged them as they also wore prayer bands and prayed for their country. Their commitment came with a cost. Read more.

Yet, house church Christians refuse to be intimidated. They say that prayer for China is even more critical now that the world is no longer watching. Persecution has increased. Will you join in this revolution of prayer for China?

"They can arrest me or put me in prison, but I'm not going to stop praying for China. Although the prayer band is banned in China, prayer can never be banned. I am asking every Christian to support believers in China by wearing a prayer band."

Except the Lord build the house...

"...they labor in vain that build it..." Psalm 127:1

I want to talk for just a minute to my Christian homeschooling sisters. If you are not part of this group, this post really doesn't apply to you. No offense.

For those of us who are Christian homeschoolers, the first question should not be "What about socialization?" or "What is my child's learning style?" or "Do I have time to homeschool?" or any of the questions that we have asked, and hopefully answered, here in this blog over the last couple of years.

The first and most important question should be, "Does the Lord want me to homeschool?"

If the answer is no - if this is something that you think might be a good thing for your kids, or you don't want them to be bullied, or you think it might be something that will fit into your lifestyle, but it is not a deep conviction that burns within you like a mandate from God - you may not make it.

In fact, you probably won't make it.

In fact, even if you do make it, if it is not something the Lord wanted you to do, it will have been in your flesh and not even a "good work" in His eyes. Twelve to fifteen to twenty years of your life ending up on the "wood, hay and stubble" heap.

Thanks, but no thanks. Home schooling is too hard to take a chance on spending that much time when the Lord had something else for you.

But if the answer is yes - if you KNOW that you know that homeschooling is God's only choice for your particular family, that certainty will sustain you in the hard times.

...When you feel like an utter failure, and find yourself looking longingly at the school bus as it passes your house.

...When you find gaps in your child's education and don't know how to fill them, or even if you should.

...When criticism from your friends and family reaches critical mass.

...When at the other end of the journey, one of your children takes a tumble out of your homeschool and ends up with his or her feet firmly planted in the world you fought so valiantly to shield them from.

This last one in particular is when it is so important to know that you did the right thing, even if it doesn't look or feel like it. When it is so important to know you did what the Lord asked you to do, and then to leave the results up to Him.

Even if your child stumbles and falls. Or doesn't go to college. Or whatever it is that is your greatest fear. Homeschooling is not a foolproof way to keep your child on the straight and narrow. Oh, it helps. It may delay the onset of bad behavior. But, eventually, it becomes a matter between your child and the Lord.

And He is in control.

The most important part of Christian homeschooling takes place on your knees. Don't neglect it.