How do you spend your time?

Satan uses our schedules against us. I really believe that.

We spend our time doing lots of things--lots of things that aren't 'spending' time with God and then we are too tired to spend true, quality time with God. We complain that we don't have time to eat right, to exercise, to spend with the people we love, or to spend in prayer. And then we wonder why we are stressed out, burnt out, unhealthy and unhappy.

And then--when we do pray we sound off a litany of things for God to do for us while not even taking another breath to thank Him. We don't stop to listen--we just go--because to us spending quality time with God is for us to put in all the effort in the relationship. Real relationships are two way but our prayer lives reflect one way relationships. We don't have time to stop and listen. I mean, after all, we are taking the time to spend with God, right? We need to keep on moving to the next thing on our schedule...

In full-time ministry we are subject to this...we spend all of our time doing 'God's work,' but how much time are we really spending with God? Sure, we can say that everything we do--feeding the hungry, clothing those who need clothes, listening to those who need a listening ear, etc--is spending time with God. I would argue that these things are necessary but are not a substitute for spending quality, alone time with God.

The problem is that we walk around pretending as if doing God's work is a substitute for spending time with God. As a result we get tired, stressed out, burnt out and become unhealhty.

We let our schedule control us and the time we have to spend with God rather than the other way around. Satan uses it against us.

I spent some time with a prominent member of our church who is unhappy in life. From the outside looking in it appears as if she has everything she needs to be happy but on a recent leadership retreat she was asked what her priorities in life really are. Her priorities and how she spends her time did not match up with each other. Now she's searching and struggling about what to do. It's a difficult place to be.

Is how you spend your time reflective of who you say you are--a disciple? A true, committed believer yearning to grow in closer relationship with the author of perfect love?

If not, you need to ask God to help you live out who and what you say you are. Don't give Satan the victory...

Life some days: diamonds in the rough

I ran the half marathon on Thanksgiving day. It went really well and I was happy with my time. I'm happy the rest of Thanksgiving weekend is over.

Sometimes in ministry things happen that really bless you and other times things that really break your heart. These past few days I've seen my share of heartbreak and I'm exhausted and worn out.

It's in these days that I'm reminded just how truly blessed I am.

Often times I give some of the homeless guys we work with a ride down to our main shelter since it's on my way home. Tonight I had the privilege of driving someone down there who is just a sweet, humble man. I work with a lot of homeless people and he's a little bit different than the rest. He recently had an accident on a construction site and has injured his right wrist. He is certain that his wrist isn't broken but we are going to try get him some medical help. He is just so thankful, uplifting and encouraging. He was a blessing to me today. I'm thankful that I'm healthy and can use both of my wrists without pain.

At dinner tonight I met a gentlemen who wanted to come and help with the homeless activities we have going on. We spent some time in conversation afterward and I learned that he, too, is homeless. He was so well dressed and put together that you would never expect him to be homeless. The difference between him and others is that he lives in his car and bounces to and from his friend's places. Oh--and he doesn't consider himself homeless. I'm thankful that I had the privilege to have a meaningful conversation with him.

Yesterday I found myself in the apartment of one of my employees (now former employee) who relapsed into drug use. As I sat there holding him as he cried my heart broke. I'm blessed that I don't struggle from that addiction. Hopefully he is on his way to healing and wholeness. He was clean for over two years.

We went to the Veterans Administration hospital and nursing home today to distribute Christmas gifts. There were soldiers there who were missing limbs and the psych ward will forever be etched in my memory. I'm blessed that I have my limbs and that I'm not living in a psychiatric hospital.

One of the volunteers with us (a member of our rehabilitation program) had a heart attack about an hour after we left the facility and died. I'm thankful that I have a functioning heart even if it breaks every now and again.

All in all the past couple of days have been rough. I know that God is in control and that there are diamonds in the rough...