Priorities

A dear friend of mine from my teaching days is critically ill. It was totally unexpected. She was a very healthy, fit lady. When I got the text, I was heartbroken. As far as I know, she has yet to accept Christ as her Savior.

I spent that entire morning, my day off, asking God, (beseeching, begging), to spare her life and draw her and her family into a personal relationship with Himself. I am heartbroken at the prospect that she might live eternally apart from God.

In my times with God since then, I have done a lot of thinking about how I spend my time. The fact that I could've and should've invested more in my friendship with her, influencing her for Christ, hit me hard.

Psalm 119:37 says, "Turn my eyes away from worthless things." I live a pretty good life. My leisure activities include watching movies, reading, gardening, cycling, and shopping thrift stores. I wouldn't consider them necessarily 'worthless'. But are they 'worthwhile'?

When I think about my friend recovering in ICU, I wonder if the movie I watched or the shopping I did was more important than making time for her, or making time for the other friends God has placed in my life who also don't have a personal relationship with Him yet.

There is nothing wrong with watching TV or gardening. Agreed. I am entitled to rest, recreation, and fun. I work hard. But when I don't make time for what really matters, when people God has entrusted into my care don't know Him, I think I need to reevaluate some of my choices, and use my time more wisely.