Image from getupwithgod.com
The Urgency of Paul at Work
From 1 Corinthians 7: 29-31: I mean, brothers and sisters, the appointed time has grown short; from now on, let even those who have wives be as though they had none, and those who mourn as though they were not mourning, and those who rejoice as though they were not rejoicing, and those who buy as though they had no possessions, and those who deal with the world as though they had no dealings with it. For the present form of this world is passing away.
Two nights ago I received a retouched (improved) photo taken of my grandfather, Carlos Valverde, Jr., and me at age of a few months. The photo is almost sixty-two years old, but it seems like only yesterday I was a child, enjoying my grandpa's company, hearing his long, loud prayers before bed, and then crying at his funeral. I am so thankful to God for that man, and for all who have been in my life but now are gone. The title of this devotional borrows from Willie Nelson's old hit, redone several times, and it's about broken love. The devotional deals with the urgency of Paul and his quest to get as many people to believe in Jesus as he possibly could. And that passage from his first letter to the church in Corinth shares that urgency; "the appointed time has grown short;" and the image for today shows what most of our alarm clocks do, LATE! Paul is saying that we have work to do and cannot be encumbered with more pressures. To do the work effectively, he writes, those who are married should carry on their appointed tasks with more focus on the task than on the aspects of relationships that could hinder that work. The same he said to those in mourning, carry on your tasks for God's work, as though you were not mourning; and for those who are extremely happy, do your work as though you were not distracted by the joy in your life. The short of it could be summed up as Christ is coming soon, and we have yet to reach all that we should. And many of us will read that, look at our watch or clock and remember that we have somewhere to go.
No one knows the time or hour, but we cannot live as though we would never die when it comes to sharing the love of God in Jesus Christ to as many as we can. This past Sunday in talking with a tiny congregation about their future, they recalled, like most dying churches, a bygone era, "when the church was full and there were kids and youth all over the place!" I asked if there were any churches like that in that town. Yes, they replied, the Jehovah Witnesses have a group of 75. Hmm. I shared with them what JWs usually on their free days. They knock on doors. They feel a sense of urgency and they have a doctrine and theology that is not necessarily sound when it comes to our Christ-centeredness. In fact, their whole outlook can be found in John 1:1, where their Bible says, "and the Word was a god." Look up what our Bible says. Who should be the most urgent?
Time is precious and yes, it slips away, but make the most with the time you have. Make time to pray. Make time to listen after you pray. And do what you hear after your prayers. Talk to that person, write that letter, send that email, make that call. Do what God has placed in your heart to do that will bless the work that He has entrusted to us. And yes, enjoy your time with loved ones, but do not lose focus on the task at hand.
PRAYER: Loving God, the time you have shared with us is so precious. Make us know that we have yet to do all that was asked of us. May we be better stewards of Your time and may we share the Good News as we should. This we pray in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
Eradio Valverde
