A Little Time Is a Dangerous Thing.

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Be very careful, then, how you live. Do not be unwise but wise, making the best use of your time because the times are evil. – Ephesians 5:15 – 16

Yesterday I woke up very early – or seemingly early. During the night, 2:00 A. M. had miraculously become 1:00 A. M.! It was that wonderful once-a-year privilege of turning our clocks back and “gaining” an hour! (We didn’t really gain an hour, just got back the hour we “lost” last spring.) I don’t know if other countries do the “spring-forward-fall-back” thing called “Daylight Savings’ Time,” but it’s a ritual carried out twice a year in most of the United States. My sister’s state of Arizona doesn’t indulge in such nonsense; consequently, she and I are two hours apart half the year and three hours apart the other half. In case we run out of things to think about when trying to figure out when to call each other.

But I digress …

One would think an extra hour would be a great help for someone like me who struggles with being on time. But anyone with punctuality problems will tell you, extra time isn’t always helpful.

I could blame my genes. When I was growing up, my family, the “tardy Hardys” were typically the last ones to arrive, and with my father, who never met a stranger, we were sometimes the last to leave. Our Sunday morning theme song was, “Sunday school is over, and we are going home,” the song wafting from the children’s Sunday school room as we pulled into the parking lot. (In our defense, that only happened once, the “spring-forward” weekend the year we forgot to reset our clocks.)

Digressing again …

Anyway, yesterday as I got up well before the alarm went off, I had a great feeling of being in control of the Sunday morning situation. I wasn’t just on time, I was ahead of time! I brewed a pot of coffee and sipped it smugly while answering a couple of text message that had come in. Hey, I had time, right? I went through all my morning routines – physical therapy, washing my face, fixing my hair, light breakfast, even making the bed. Being ahead of time was great!

But at one point (probably after changing my mind twice about what to wear) I realized I was no longer running way ahead of time. (Surprise.)

I still had about ten minutes to spare, though … if I could get out the door immediately.

I drove to church, applying my makeup whenever I sat at a red light. Once there, I debated where to park – Could I find a spot that was pleasantly close to church without being obviously selfish and taking the closest spot? By the time I had put the “club” on my steering wheel, gathered my purse, coffee, and Bible, I was sensing the Spirit telling me to give a couple of protein bars to the people who were rummaging through the nearby dumpster. A brief conversation ensued, and I invited them to church. I prayed with one of them for a job and made a couple of suggestions. By the time I reached my classroom, (You guessed it.) the teacher was finishing the opening prayer. My metal cannister of coffee fell to the floor, loudly announcing my arrival.

What happened to that extra hour?!

The Sunday school class was an in-depth study of Revelation, and the lesson that day focused on the coming Judgment of God. In that day there will be two kinds of people: those who are given grace, forgiveness, and eternal blessings, and those who face the wrath of God. (Revelation 8 has a chilling description of the latter.)

Having started the morning in the final book of the Bible, in the worship service we heard a message from Genesis, the book of beginnings. The subject was the Great Flood, when God brought judgment onto the world, sparing only Noah and his family. The rest of Mankind perished, the people Jesus later described as eating and drinking and marrying – carrying on “business as usual” – oblivious and unprepared for the judgment.

The message of both Genesis and Revelation – and every book in between – warns us:

God is holy, and He will judge justly. His wrath is justified. If we get what we deserve, we are all doomed.

But God is also merciful. He has provided a way to escape. Although we are powerless to save ourselves, Jesus, the sinless Son of God, willingly died on the cross, taking on Himself the punishment for our sins. We can come to Him, ask His forgiveness, and begin a new life with Him. This is the only way. If we turn it down, we are left to pay the penalty ourselves.

Someone I know and have been praying for recently went through a bit of a “scare,” medically, and during the time of uncertainty, he developed an intense interest in knowing God and salvation. He was reading the Bible, asking questions, and even requesting prayer. He had been to church for the past couple of Sundays and heard some very direct messages about God’s holiness, our sinfulness and depravity, and God’s offer of forgiveness.

Friday this person was given a clean bill of health! While thrilled for him, I wondered if he would show up at church yesterday. I was delighted to see him back, in spite of the fact that the immediate crisis had passed. – That crisis, anyway. Perhaps he’s realizing that any one of us could face sudden judgment any day, any minute.

The notion that “I still have plenty of time” can be deceiving and dangerous. Today most of us don’t think much about the certainty of death. But maybe we should. It will come, sooner or later. – What if it’s sooner?

To everyone reading this, I hope you have entrusted your soul Christ. We cannot save ourselves, and without Him we have no hope of escaping the just judgment of a holy God. If you haven’t repented and turned to Him for forgiveness and salvation, you can do it right now. Confess your sin and hopelessness apart from Him, acknowledge Jesus’ death as your atoning sacrifice, and commit to live the rest of your life for Him.

Whether the rest of your life is another day, or you “still have lots of time,” give that time to Him. You won’t regret it.

Prayer: Lord, You have given us each a set number of days on this earth, and we want to live our lives the way You created us to. Thank You for a new day, and whether it’s our last day on earth, or one in thousands, may we glorify You with it, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

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Published by seekingdivineperspective

I am a forgiven sinner and adopted child of God, seeking to see life from His perspective - as opposed to the world's flawed perspective - and living my life accordingly.

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33 thoughts on “A Little Time Is a Dangerous Thing.”

  4. Your heart is in the right place, Annie! It’s wonderful the way you minister to others in need in God’s outdoor church. If you had been early, you may not have seen them. God bless you for sharing God’s Word so passionately. 🙂

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  5. Good word Ann, was reminded of what Psalm 90 says, teach us to number our days aright. I love and am inspired by how you share God’s word even if you ended up being late.
    God bless you.

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  10. Great post , as always, but I’m curious about needing a club on your steering wheel. Do you live in the inner city ? We don’t even lock our cars where I live. But then I also don’t get a chance to give food to street people in Jesus’ name. ☺️ God Bless you sweet friend!

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    1. i used to drive the make and model that was often stolen because of a flaw in the construction. (TikTok put out challenges to see who could steal the most cars in one weekend. 😡) One Sunday night while I was at our prayer meeting, I had neglected to put the Club on the wheel. After all, it was early Sunday evening, and I was parked right by the church door. My car would be fine for an hour … Right? When I came out, some would-be thieves had broken a window and done over $6,000’s worth of damage to the steering column. Now I have a new car and rarely park it without the club, even at home. It can still be damaged, but it can’t be stolen with the club on the wheel, so one would hope they’d see the club and leave it alone. (End of commercial.🙄)

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  13. We are way too much alike. Oh my, it was wonderful to hear your “voice” this afternoon! I chuckled my way through this. Until the serious part of course.
    P.S. I am the latecomers greeter at church. (A self-appointed role) It’s true, the latecomers really do seem to appreciate the welcome and smile…I also do the Connect Table after church, which is a safer bet with me of course. I do love connecting and talking to people!
    The tardy Hardys…😄
    Love you, Annie. (What time should we call our sisters? Is it 2 or 3 hours difference now…)

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    1. I LOVE this comment, Deb! 😅💕

      My sister is now just two hours behind me – where does yours live?

      P. S. The “tardy Hardy” title extended to my cousins, too, especially Larry, who was always told the party was starting a half hour earlier than it really was. 🙄 His friends wrote him a poem for his yearbook page:

      Everyone likes Larry Hardy,/Even though he’s always tardy./ But what the heck? It ain’t no crime/ To run on “Larry Hardy Time.”

      (So, there’s Eastern Standard Time, Central Time, Mountain Time, Pacific Time, and Larry Hardy Time. – You learn something new every day.)

      😆

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      1. Still laughing here. 😄 She’s in Tucson.
        I once wrote a post about being tidsoptismist, a Danish word which translates to “time optimist” but moved it to private out of shame after some of the comments. From, you know, those who always show up early. The funny thing is, all these years I’ve so often been late because of my time in the Word with the Lord. I just couldn’t pull myself away. Even this morning…well, I might have to write a post about this morning…
        I’m so glad we’re in this world together. ❤️❤️

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    2. Deb, I do think it depends on what we’re late FOR, and who’s hosting. If it’s a business meeting or a class I’m teaching, by all mean I should be on time! But for social events … it depends on the culture. When I got involved in Refuge (a ministry to refugees), we learned about cold-weather time and hot-weather time. In cultures in colder climates (U.S., Canada, Europe), it’s important to be punctual. But the hotter climates seem more conducive to the attitude, “We’ll get there when we get there.” To be on time for a social event was thought to be inconsiderate – what if the hostess isn’t ready for you? And to be EARLY – well, that’s considered downright rude! Your poor hostess would be totally stressed out. I saw examples of this the first few times we had gatherings with the refugees, who arrived 45 minutes after the official start time. As for a stopping point … m’eh … we’re done when we’re done.

      (Sounds like you and I belong in a hot climate! 😉 )

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      1. P. S. When I taught middle school, I threw a beach party for all my students at our house on Lake Huron at the end of every school year. There were a few parents who dropped off their middle school kids 45 minutes early! (No comment.) I, of course, wasn’t ready, but no problem – I would just put them to work. 😉

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