Money. It’s something we all have, want, and need to live life. And we tell our kids all the time, “Think before you spend. Think it through. You can only spend it once. Spend it wisely.”
What I read in my daily Bible this morning made me think of that. It’s good advice for more than just money.
You know that Stephanas and his household were the first of the harvest of believers in Greece, and they are spending their lives in service to God’s people.” (I Corinthians 16:15)
You can only spend it once, so spend it wisely. As I thought of that, these verses came to mind.
And it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment. (Hebrews 9:27)
For we [believers will be called to account and] must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be repaid for what has been done in the body, whether good or bad [that is, each will be held responsible for his actions, purposes, goals, motives—the use or misuse of his time, opportunities and abilities]. (2 Corinthians 5:10 amp)
Reading the Word should be our “check engine light” and not just something we check off our to do list.
We should be reading with purpose. Reading to get to know Him better. As we read, we should be checking to see how our actions, purposes, goals, motives, the use and misuse of our time and opportunities and abilities line up with what the Word says.
So I did that this morning. As I read 1 Corinthians 16:15, I asked myself, “How are you spending your life? In service to God? To others? To just myself? Are there whole segments of my time that I’ve drawn boundaries around and claimed as my own or have I submitted my whole life to His Lordship? Does how I’m spending my life reveal who He is in all of His character – all of His goodness and love and holiness and mercy – to those around me?”
Ummmm….can anyone say ouch?
And then I prayed, “Father, it’s all Yours! Every second of every minute of every day. Show me how to budget it – to spend it – all for You!”
And the cool thing about God is He’s not some wicked slave driver that wants to use us up and drive us into the ground with work, work, work! And then more work!
No. He created the Sabbath to ensure we have days of rest. Jesus (our example) went to weddings and had relaxing dinners with friends. He went fishing. He had times for prayer and communion with God and times of retreat with his disciples.
So we need to check that too. If all we do is work and we never rest, that’s not healthy either.
So….let’s use the Word to take our temperature today and ask ourselves, “How’s my spending?”
How are you spending your life? We only get to spend it once. Let’s spend it wisely.