Allan Bevere is a United Methodist minister. He tells the story of attending a continuing education event in Atlanta. One day, his workshop ran late, and he missed dinner. He was forced to eat at a nearby Burger King. As he walked in a homeless man stopped him and asked him for money. Allan didn’t give him money, but he offered to buy him a meal. The homeless man accepted, and the two men got in line. When they were given their plastic trays, the homeless man said, “Thanks” and turned to eat by himself.
Allan decided to eat with him and followed him to a table. He admitted later it may not have been the wisest choice. The homeless man smelled. Allan said it was hard to eat at first, but then they started to talk. The homeless man’s name was Jason, and he was from southern Florida. He lived with his mother and sister. He hadn’t seen his biological father in years. When his mother found a new boyfriend, he moved in with them. In time, the boyfriend began abusing him and his sister, so they ran. His sister moved in with her boyfriend. Jason bought a bus ticket to Atlanta to make his fortune. The fortune never came, and now Jason was living in the streets. The more Jason talked the more Allan felt sorry for Jason and offered to buy him a bus ticket back to Florida. Jason declined the offer. He said, “No one wants me in Florida.” Allan didn’t know how to respond.
When the meal was over, the two parted. Allan went back to his clean hotel room. Jason went back to the streets. However, before they parted, Jason said something Allan will never forget. He said, “Thank you for your time.” He didn’t thank him for the food. He thanked him for his time. That story reminds us time is valuable. How do you spend your time? That takes us to our scripture.
We find ourselves in the first eleven verses of the eighteenth chapter of Acts. The very first verse tells us Paul was in the city of Corinth. Located just off the Corinthian isthmus, Corinth was the crossroads for both travelers and traders. It was a massive, diverse city. Goods flowed through the city from as far west as Spain to as far east as Egypt. Like Athens, the Corinthians placed a high premium on philosophy and wisdom. Corinth was the home of twelve temples, yet Corinth was infamous for her immorality. Her prostitutes were known around the world. Many would not have even tried to convert them, but this is the Apostle Paul. He knew, the converts he won for Christ in Corinth could easily influence the world. Jesus could be their chief export! Verse eleven tells us Paul stayed in Corinth for a year and a half.
It is that line that grabbed my attention this week. Paul stayed in Corinth for a year and a half. That is a long time, if you are Paul. Most of his stays were very short. In Philippi, he stayed a few weeks at best. In Thessalonica, he stayed approximately a week. In Berea, he stayed a day. He did not stay long in Athens. He did not stay in Corinth for a year and a half because he got tired of traveling. He stayed in Corinth a year and a half because the challenge in front of him was so great. The time aspect in this story is significant because time itself is significant, especially to us mortals.
Psalm 90:2, says, Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the whole world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.” That means God transcends time. In other words, God is not limited by time, but that is not our story. We are limited by time, so we are preoccupied with time. It is one of God’s gifts to us. Every year, God gives us 365 days to live. Every day, God gives us 24 hours to live, 1,440 seconds. If you live to be one hundred years old, then God is giving you 36,525 days to live, including twenty-five leap years. There is no other way to say it – our time is limited. It is my experience that we view time differently as we grow older. The young feel like wasting time is fine, because they have so much left. That is not the case as you grow older. I try not to waste a single day. Benjamin Franklin (1705-1790) once said, “Lost time is never found again.” Do you feel like you are spending your time wisely? How we spend our time reveals our priorities. With those questions in mind, let me ask you these questions:
How much time do you spend handling your responsibilities? Your responsibilities include work, paying bills, cleaning the house and mowing the yard. Each one of those things is important and each one of those things takes time. Our responsibilities take up a great deal of time. How much time do you spend handling your responsibilities?
How much time do you spend maintaining your relationships? We are social animals and maintaining the relationships in our lives takes time. How much time do you spend doing things you don’t want to do because it makes someone in your life happy? That is why grandparents go to baseball games and dance recitals. That is why we attend our spouse’s high school reunions or Christmas parties. How much quality time do you give to your loved ones? How much time do you spend maintaining your relationships?
How much time do you spend on yourself? In my last few years in the ministry, we were introduced to the term self-care. We were encouraged to take a regular day off. We were encouraged to take all our vacation days. Leaves were offered to those who felt like they were burning out. At first, I dismissed self-care, but no more. Maybe if I had practiced more self-care, I would have lasted longer in the ministry? Self-care is not selfishness. Self-care is important because it helps us escape and rest. How much time do you spend on yourself?
How much time do you spend cultivating your relationship with God? The founder of Methodism, John Wesley (1703-1791) asked the question, “How is it with your soul?” It is an excellent question because our lives are incomplete without God. That is why the spiritual disciplines are important. The spiritual disciplines are worship, Bible study, fasting, simplicity, solitude, and service. Each one of those things takes time. How much time do you spend cultivating your relationship with God? How we spend our time reveals our priorities. Do you feel like you are spending your time wisely? I am sixty-seven years old, and I ask myself that question regularly.
Several weeks ago, I officiated at a wedding at my former church. I was proud to be part of the wedding. The bride’s name was Katee. She is a beautiful young woman, who I have known most of her life. Her parents joined my church when she was five years old. The church was a big part of her life. She attended Sunday school regularly as a child and was confirmed at twelve years old. As a teenager, she participated in the annual mission trips and the high school Sunday school class. I celebrated with her when she graduated from high school and was happy when she graduated from college. At one point, she was a police officer in my hometown, and is now serving in another community. I viewed her wedding as a celebration of a life well lived.
My wife Kathryn and I went to the wedding reception. The venue was beautiful. We sat at a table with extended family, and we observed the festivities. At one point, Katee and her groom, Tyler, went from table to table to welcome their guests. As I watched them, I thought not just about Katee, I thought about all the people I served at my last church. In my twenty-eight years there, we had been through so much together. I thought about all those Christmas Eve services together. I thought about all those Holy Week activities. I thought about all those Easter mornings. I thought about all the sermons I preached. I thought about all the children I confirmed. I thought about all the children who went to church camp and went on mission trips. I wondered how many babies I baptized and how many people I buried. I wondered how many couples I joined in marriage. How many meetings did I attend and how many crisis moments had I endured. But most of all I thought about the people I had served. They were not perfect people, but they were good people.
As I thought about all those things, I will admit very few things were done perfectly, but everything was done with a genuine spirit of Christian love. Everything was done in the name of Jesus. As I look back, I am proud of my body of work, and I believe my time in the ministry was time well spent. I hope when you look back on your life, you feel the same. Proverbs 16:3 says, “The heart of a man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.”
Russ Adams 