EXPOSE | Too Much Time On Our Hands
“In many ways, the perception that we have time to become the men we want to be leads us to become lazy and drags us farther away from the image of Jesus to which we hunger to conform.” – J.R. Duren
EXPLORE | Take Every Moment Captive
His book really sounds like a good read. J.R. Duren is author of ‘Living Like Lions’ which covers the lives of 20 past and present influential Christian men. What’s most interesting is what his research revealed about how some of these men viewed time. How intentional are we to take every moment captive to ensure we’re giving God our very best?
The article he wrote highlights 3 lessons he learned about time that challenges us put the magnifying glass over how we spent our days:
- Time should never be used as an excuse for spiritual mediocrity
- Time should be used to make fierce the fire of our soul
- Time is the context in which the world sees Christ in you
Man, what pressure. It would seem that these men would not let a second go by without making sure it had maximum impact. I feel both a little guilty, and, challenged to be extremely vigilante with deciding how every moment of my day is spent.
EXECUTE | Our View of Time in God’s Plan
After all, why are we here?
We should view time in light of the part we plan in God’s plan. Here’s a way to take those lessons above and allow them to shape how we handle time:
- How am I allowing myself to be mediocre with my spiritual life? Where are the gaps, the leaks, the places I’m ‘taking it easy’? How is the time I have being used to “beat yesterday”? That is, to go deeper, surrender completely, and remember my position?
- What a great line: “make fierce the fire of our soul.” Would I dare ask God to do that very thing? If I did, how would the way I spend my time change?
- Do I fully grasp the context of my life as part of God’s plan? Viewing life through The Right Life Manifesto reminds us to view our lives in the context of God’s purpose for us in the here and now. With one of the intentions being that Christ is seen in you.
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Further reading:
3 lessons about time I learned from great men of God
Scott, thanks for the shout-out in this post. Like you, I feel challenged and a bit guilty when I think about these men. Part of me believes I could never have their fire and devotion …. I want to give myself a pass since we live in a time where the literal amount of time we spend in quiet moments with Christ isn’t as emphasized as it once was. And yet there’s that part of me who marvels at these men and feels inspired to rise above our cultural contex and become a relentless follower of Christ.
Thanks for jumping in here James! Your book really sounds amazing… and so very convicting! =)
I think you really nailed the tension we should all at least be wrestling with… what excuse can I possibly give that would keep me from becoming a”relentless follower of Christ”? Gulp.