I am not sure about you, but I am very good at procrastinating, in fact I am excellent at it. I always find a way to tell myself that this (whatever might be on my list of to do) can wait because something else is more important. If I am honest, quite often, that something else will be a quick scroll down my phone or a browse through the TV channels to see if there is anything worth watching. A quick look through a clothes catalogue, just to make sure I don’t miss out on any offers. An urge to reorganise the photos on my computer! These little distractions can take up most of a morning or afternoon if I am not careful.

Eventually, I get back to the task I should have finished and I am feeling flustered and I am muttering to myself that I cannot believe how little time I have to do this. Soon I will need to start dinner and everyone will expect things to be ready. I find myself irritated with the situation and with everyone in the house because I failed to see that “the time wasted” was my doing. My choice. My turning away from what I should have done.

Remember who we are

The apostle Paul in his letter to the Philippians writes a lovely greeting to the brothers and sisters in that church:

Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, to all God’s holy people in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons: ² Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. (Philippians 1:1-2) (emphasis mine)

Note that Paul says that they are servants of Christ Jesus. This is such an important thing for us to remember. If we are in Christ, if we have believed He died for us on the cross and was risen from the dead and is now reigning in heaven, if we have trusted Him and given Him our life is response to His goodness and grace poured on us, we are his servants too. We were bought by his blood and set free.

As Christ’s servants we are free to do everything, from the most mundane tasks to the biggest life changing decisions, for Him. Because we serve Christ we should not be procrastinators but we should intentionally, with joy, finish the things we have to do.

If we are washing dishes, preparing a meal, changing/bathing a child, walking to school, driving to work, delivering a presentation to the investors, performing surgery, visiting an elderly parent, comforting a bereaved friend, paying the bills, helping a child do homework, walking the dog, writing a will, revising for an exam, writing an essay, whatever we are doing we should, intentionally, do it for the glory of God.

The work of the Spirit

How can we be intentional about everything we do? What does it even mean? It means with a purpose and the answer to the question is “we can’t”. Not in our own strength that is. We need the help of the Holy Spirit living in us.

The first step though is to recognise that procrastinating is sinful and if left unconfessed will be causing us to complain, regret, grumble, blame others, speak out of turn, be angry. These things are also sinful. So, come before the throne of grace and confess, you, like me, are a big procrastinator. Say it out loud. List all the things that you go to just because you don’t feel like finishing what you started, or you feel like you have no motivation, no energy, no desire to do it. Pause. Ask God to help you through the power of His Spirit to be intentional about all the things you do. Remember you are Christ’s servant and you want to serve Him well. I want to serve Him well.

As we confess the sin of procrastination, we can continue our journey here as free servants of Jesus. Free to choose to come before him with glad hearts. He has sent His Spirit to work in our hearts so we become more like Him every day.

The greatest example

When it comes to serving, what better example than Jesus himself. Jesus left his glory in heaven, came to earth, as a baby, toddler, child, teenager, adult, living and learning the family trade, learning the law, serving His Father above and those around Him.

We also know that Jesus began his ministry of declaring God’s kingdom had come. He was intentional in every way. He never procrastinated. He did not get distracted. He did not give excuses or tell himself, this or that job was more important.

“For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me.” John 6:38

It might be a good idea to read one of the Gospels, to be reminded of how Jesus was completely focused (his intention, so to speak) on His mission. The greatest rescue plan. He came to do His Father’s will and to bring glory to the Father. Whilst He walked the earth He showed love and compassion to many who met Him, but most importantly He told them to repent and believe.

Jesus fulfilled all the promises concerning the Messiah, the Savior. In Him we have life eternal! Praise the Lord! We know that and it fills our hearts with joy and gratitude. We sometimes forget that He came to serve and by following His example and being servants we bring glory to His Name.

On the right track

We have remembered who we are – we are servants of Christ, we know we cannot be intentional about the things we do without the help of the Holy Spirit and we know that Jesus is our ultimate example of being a servant.

I want to encourage you to think back to what distracts you. The things that make you procrastinate (this is a conscious decision, by the way). If you have noted them, confessed and prayed for help you are on the right track. I also wanted to encourage you that not everything that stops you from finishing a task is a distraction. Many things are opportunities to serve and we mustn’t miss them.

Let me explain. If your child stops you because they would like your help, your attention, your shoulder to cry, your embrace to comfort, your guidance, they are not distracting you and you are not procrastinating. These are opportunities to serve your children and lead them to the One whom you serve. Stopping a task because it is time to cook a meal for those you love and care for, is not a distraction. That is an opportunity to pour love, to maybe listen to a podcast or an audio Bible read to you. Even better, maybe have a conversation with them as you prepare the meal, ask questions about their day, listen carefully for those signs of God giving you opportunities to teach them. Intentionally set your heart to serve in these situations. There are many other examples of opportunities God places in front of us that are not distractions, so, be alert!

Guard your heart against procrastinating. This is me “teaching” myself. Intentionally turn your gaze to Jesus and ask that the Spirit to change your heart. Remember that Jesus has shown us how to serve. Look for the opportunities God will give you today!

God bless.

_{Photo by Jasmin Ne on Unsplash}

Time! A concept that guides our lives and can cause us to rejoice and to despair.

Rejoice, as we see it passing and we experience the seasons of life as we complete certain stages: school, college, an apprenticeship, a degree. A long awaited holiday, visiting relatives, receiving good news over a treatment that took some time! Kids growing up and experiencing life!

But on the other hand we Despair. As we experience the decay of our bodies, the disappointments that happen in life, the losses, the hardening of hearts and the counting down clock, to the day we die.

Time! It binds us and guide us. Something we are never actually satisfied with. We are always in need of more time or we are not giving it the importance it deserves.

The God outside time controls time

There never was a time when God was not. If God is outside time, every moment (millions of years, half an hour, 100 years ago, 200 years from now) all of it, is present to God all at once: right now. How do we comprehend that? Sometimes all we can do is marvel.

God controls time, but not like “Doctor Who”, a time lord jumping back and forth in time changing things and helping people. No. He is outside time and that means He is not bound by it and he sees, past, present and future all at once. He created all things and all things are His.

Let’s consider Psalm 90:

¹ Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations. ² Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the whole world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God. ³ You turn people back to dust, saying, “Return to dust, you mortals.” ⁴ A thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by, or like a watch in the night. ⁵ Yet you sweep people away in the sleep of death— they are like the new grass of the morning: ⁶ In the morning it springs up new, but by evening it is dry and withered. ⁷ We are consumed by your anger and terrified by your indignation.
⁸ You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence.
⁹ All our days pass away under your wrath; we finish our years with a moan. ¹⁰ Our days may come to seventy years, or eighty, if our strength endures; yet the best of them are but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away. ¹¹ If only we knew the power of your anger!  Your wrath is as great as the fear that is your due. ¹² Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

In this Psalm Moses is pointing out that God lives forever (verse 2) and how our life is short and limited (verses 2, 10). We can also see how God is outside time (verse 4). I guess it is quite easy for us to understand and see that God was there in the beginning, but to comprehend that the beginning and the end and every single moment in between are present to God all at once: mind blowing! This Psalm also shows us how finite we are (verses 5 and 6; 9 and 10) In the face of the contrast presented here Moses is asking God to teach us to number our days, to live well, so we can gain wisdom.

God appoints time

Ecclesiastes is a book all about living well in God’s world. In chapter 3:1-15 we see that the God who is outside time (living forever) can teach us, the ones who are living in time.

In this beautiful poem in the beginning of chapter 3 we are told that there is a time for everything in life and the writer is using polar opposites to highlight it. We must not forget the things that happen in between. In verse 2, for example, we see there is a time to be born (there is a time for the first laugh, the first steps, the first day of school, the first kiss, the first child, the holidays, the last day at work, the time for the nursing home) and a time to die. Get the idea? So for all the verses in this poem you need to think of all the things that happen in between as well. Also, we need to notice that life is so varied. There is time to kill, to heal, to weep, to laugh, to embrace and to refrain from embracing, time to love and time to hate. Most of the things that happen to us in this life are relational.

Our God is perfect, eternal, outside time but He is the One who controls time. This truth should help us in 3 different ways.

We can look at the past with peace

We shouldn’t live our lives based on nostalgia or regret. These two emotions are not bad but if fuelled they can become sinful. Nostalgia for a time in our lives when we were not sick or a loved one was still here, or when we had a better paid job, could cause us to be discontent with the life we have now. We could be stuck in that yearning for the good old days and miss the opportunities that God presents us with every day.

Regret on the other hand, may cause us to be stuck on the mistakes of the past and things we might have done. The missed job interview, the broken relationships, the wrong turns we took. Living in constant regret will rob us of the joy we can have now. If we are worried about the injustices and wrongs in the past we need to read Ecclesiastes 3 verse 15: “Whatever is has already been, and what will be has been before; and God will call the past to account”. Trust what the Bible tells us about God – He will bring the past to account. What is in our past is not out of reach of God. Remember, He sees it all at once.

We can look at the future without anxiety

We need to trust God for our future. We need to stop anticipating and coveting the next stage of our lives. The girl in primary school who wants to be doing her GCSEs, the teenager who wants to be a college student, the mum who wants her child to be out of nappies, the older woman who cannot wait for retirement. These things are not sinful on their own but if we live like that, we stop being content.

Sometimes we might be anxious because we fear a future we can’t control… what if I lose my job? What if my kids can’t go to college? What if the marriage never happens? What if the prognosis is not good? That stops us having joy now for what God has given us. We can stop that by being thankful. Ecclesiastes 3 verse 11 tells us that “He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end”. 

All things will be beautiful in its time. Not in our time, but in its time.

We can live today fully and wisely

We must use the time we are given well. Not being lazy or compulsively busy. A lazy person does not see God’s given time, the way He meant us to. There will always be more time. She procrastinates, misses deadlines and spends time without considering the costs. The compulsively busy person finds the time God has given her as inadequate. God has given us some time to be here on Earth, we are not eternal. We are very much bound by time.

When someone hears that they have cancer they become very aware of how brief life really is and what are the things and people, that really matter. This awareness of time ending might cause us to understand our plans are in God’s hands. “If He wills, tomorrow I will________” (fill in the blank).

How we live here can impact eternity

As we walk this earth in the time God has given us, it is important that we live in a way that will impact eternity. In verse 12 of Psalm 90 Moses prays: “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom”. We already know God does not owe us anything, not even the 70 or 80 years mentioned in the Psalm. If He gives it to us it is out of His gracious and loving nature. It is a gift not an entitlement. Each day is a gift. Knowing that we will see the future “if the Lord wills” ought to change how we live each day. Ecclesiastes 3 verse 11 says “He (God) has also set eternity in the human heart”, so we have this longing for eternity, but we cannot, at this side of Eden, have it.

Moses, at the end of Psalm 90 asks God, twice, that the years we live here would have an impact that would outlive us. ¹⁷ May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us;  establish the work of our hands for us— yes, establish the work of our hands. God is able to bring eternal results to our time bound efforts.

In Matthew 6 Jesus says: ¹⁹ “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. ²⁰ But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. ²¹ For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. When we invest our time in what has eternal significance, we store up treasure in heaven. This side of heaven, the only investments with eternal significance are people.

How are we investing our time for eternity? How are we going to be remembered by our children? Grandchildren? Family members? work colleagues? Friends? Do they know how much we love our God? Can they see Jesus in us? In the way we live in our lives? Do we set aside our differences for the good of the Kingdom? Do we invest time telling those we love the most that God sent His Son to die for them and save them? Do we tell them that there is hope for eternity?

In our very busy lives, bound by time, may we desire to pray like Moses: Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. May God help us to invest in today for eternity.

God bless.

_{Photo by Ahmad Ossayli on Unsplash}

I am not very fond of boats. In fact, I am not very fond of the sea either. I remember watching a movie called “The Perfect Storm”, being terrified by the sheer volume of water displayed on the screen and the waves moving up and down, the wind howling, the ferocity of it all! Then came the giant wave scene. I don’t think I have ever wanted a little boat to win so much like I did on that day! I feel my heart racing even now. I wonder if the characters in the movie were thinking something like “if only they had decided to call in sick that day” or “If only the boat engine was broken that day”, “if only the skipper would have turned around”. They might also have been thinking “what if I perish? What will happen to my family?” or “What if I get injured?”.

If only. Does that sound familiar? If only I could make sure my child would get the grades. If only I could get on top of all the pressing issues around the running of the home. If only I could meet up with all the people I would like to. If only I could have more hours. If only this government would do what I want. If only I could__________ fill in the blank. What if they fail their exams? What if the package gets lost? What if I don’t get paid enough? What if______________ fill the blank. These two small sentences are the cause of much worry, anxiety and distraction. We may not be on a fishing boat in the middle of a real storm but sometimes life can feel like one.

There is a passage in the Bible which talks about a boat and a storm.

²² One day Jesus said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side of the lake.” So they got into a boat and set out. ²³ As they sailed, he fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger.²⁴ The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!” He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. ²⁵ “Where is your faith?” he asked his disciples. In fear and amazement they asked one another, “Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him.” Luke 8:22-25

This is the familiar story of Jesus calming the storm. Why have I chosen it? Because when we find ourselves in the middle of the “if only” and “what if” storms in life we need to remind ourselves that God is still God and He is sovereign over all.

Jesus calls us to be his friend and join him.

The people in the boat were Jesus’s closest friends. They were chosen by Him. The people that were spending a lot of time with him and experiencing his teaching and his company day in and day out whilst He was walking this earth, telling people about God’s amazing plan to rescue them. Some of the disciples were very seasoned fishermen. I understand that storms were very common in that region and would come out of nowhere, so, no doubt they would have experienced similar situations before. They were frightened though. Maybe when they could not control the boat and when they saw how terrible the storm really was, their minds might have been full of “if only” and “what if” too.

What a privilege to be Jesus’s friend. If you have put your trust in Him you are his friend. You might be thinking to yourself: what does that mean? Put my trust in Him? It means you understand you are a sinner and there is absolutely nothing you can do to make yourself right with God. Having understood that. you realise you need Jesus in your life and you accept that He, Jesus, died on the cross and rose again to save you and give you eternal life.

When you put your trust in Jesus, you are invited to go into the boat and sail through life with Jesus, if so to speak. We are invited to see all the wonderful things that He has done for us and all the things that He will still do in us. Be encouraged! It is a great blessing to be called a disciple of Jesus. A friend.

In this story, when they started their journey the waters were calm, and it should have been an easy enough crossing to the other side, but a storm hit. Not just a storm, possibly the worst storm they had experienced.  Life is like that… we have moments of calm, serene waters and sometimes huge storms hit us out of nowhere.  For some this might be just a little wind and for others it might feel like a hurricane. The disciples forgot WHO was in the boat with them. Have we?

Jesus is in the boat!

What an amazing truth to hold on to! The great king of the Universe, the One who was there when all things were made and through whom all things were made, the perfect sacrifice for our sins, the Holy God himself in His Son. JESUS IS in the boat! Talk about blessing! Jesus had just spent time with the crowds, teaching them and performing many miracles showing great compassion towards them. We know that Jesus was God and was also fully human, so, he must have been tired. You might have experienced getting into a car, coach, plane and minutes after you start your journey you are fast asleep, especially after a long day. Jesus fell asleep in the boat. He didn’t leave the boat. Sometimes in life when the storms hit us we seem to forget Jesus is still in the boat.

The disciples in their fear and despair wake Jesus up. In Mark’s account of the event they ask Jesus if he doesn’t care they will drown. Why would they say that?! Don’t they know who Jesus is?

At this point in the Gospel’s accounts Jesus’s closest disciples were still working out that Jesus was the Messiah, the promised King they were expecting. They were not sure but we don’t have any excuse. We have the entire Bible and from beginning to end we see one story pointing to who Jesus is and what He has done for us on the cross to bring us salvation. So many times during the storms of live we forget Jesus is in the boat with us. Or we ask in our despair: what are you doing Jesus?! Don’t you care that my life is a mess?! Don’t you care that I am struggling mentally and cannot go on? Don’t you care that I can’t find a job? Don’t you care I am so tired after looking after my lovely child all day and juggling house work and a paid job too? Don’t you care? Jesus cares! He is in the boat with us.

In the Bible we see that God promised he would never leave those whom He called for Himself:

“⁶ Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” Deuteronomy 31:6

This was a promise made to Joshua just after Moses died and just before they crossed the Jordan into the promised land.

After Jesus had given the disciples the great commission to go through out the world making disciples in his name, He promised to be with them to the end of ages.

” And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:20b

Notice Jesus says I am with you always. It doesn’t say: when things are calm and serene and the waters are clear. It does not say: when all goes wrong either. It says ALWAYS! Be encouraged – Jesus is in the boat now! God’s presence in our lives is a blessing indeed!

But you might say… Yes ok. Jesus was in the boat but He was sleeping.

Jesus, the Son of God slept trusting His mighty Father completely. I don’t believe, for one minute, that God wasn’t aware the storm was coming. He was still in control and Jesus knew he could sleep and trust God. Our saviour sets the example here. Resting and trusting His Father. Finding perfect peace in the middle of the storm.

Jesus has power over the storm!

At the precise moment He calms the storm! Jesus was not God when he was awake and human when he was sleeping. He was God and human all the same time. All the authority Jesus received from the Father was still his, even when he was in the boat sleeping. So much so that when the disciples wake him up the rebukes the wind and raging waters. In the Gospel of Mark 4 we read that Jesus said “Quiet! Be still!”. Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.  Remember, Jesus had already performed many miracles and we know that throughout the Bible God is pointing us to His Son. What authority he has over all things on earth!

This is the same God who created all things, He had already rescued his people from Egypt, he parted the sea for them to cross on dry ground, he gave them food and water and saved them from their enemies while they were in the wilderness… He gave them a king (imperfect, but who was later called a man after God’s own heart) He gave them many prophets to point them back to Him and to point to Jesus himself. Finally, God become a man and died for us in the person of his Son Jesus. This is the same God right there in the boat. And of course he can calm the storm and he did. Another amazing blessing: to see God in action through the storm.

That does not mean that all storms will be calmed in our lives and it does not mean the minute we cry out for help things will get better. Be encouraged though. The same Jesus that can do all things is in the boat with us. He has power and authority to do whatever He chooses to. He is sovereign over all things and sees all things.

Jesus asks: Where is your faith?

There is a challenge for us in this passage too. In verse 25 we see a very important question Jesus asks his disciples:  “Where is your faith?”.  See, the disciples were still working out who He was, but most of us know who Jesus is! Where is our faith? Through crisis and storms, where are we putting our faith? Celebrities who seem to fancy themselves as “gurus”? Friends? Teachers? The welfare system? Doctors? Family? Wealth? Our success? If you said yes to any of these, I have bad news for you! You will probably be disappointed. If our faith is placed in things or people, we ,like the disciples in the passage have forgotten who Jesus is. We must put our faith in Jesus all the time. He is our maker and our rescuer. Jesus has completed the worked He was sent to do and He wants to bless us. He has given us his Spirit and He has promised He will be with us always.

When you find yourself thinking “if only” or “what if” in the midst of the storm remember that Jesus calls us to be His friend and to be in the boat with Him. Jesus is in the boat. He has all power and authority over the storm. Most importantly remember you must put your faith in Him. Remember who He is.

God bless.