It's About Time
/Busy! Busy, busy, busy! I am JUST SO BUSY!
When I ask people how they are doing, a vast majority of the time their response is “I am just so BUSY!”
I don’t doubt them, I’m sure they legitimately are “busy”. The question is, busy doing what? What are we so busy doing? And the next question is, “Should we be busy doing what we are so busy doing?”
These are questions we must, especially as believers in Christ, grapple with.
Now, I love planning. I have my planner, I set my goals, I try to carry out my tasks with faithfulness and productivity! And no doubt you have a planner or a calendar that is full of the things you have determined should be accomplished in your day, week, month, year, etc…
But what about God’s plans for you? What about God’s calendar? Do you have the same agenda for yourself that God has for you? Have you considered this as a possibility?
If we are going to be busy, perhaps we should be busy doing the things the Lord has on His planner for us. Well, there are many tasks or projects the Lord wants us to be doing. And I am excited to share two of them with you from Colossians 4:5-6. One of them has to do with how you WALK and the other has to do with how you TALK.
1. Use Your Time Wisely as You Walk with Unbelievers
Every day, you and I walk among those who do not believe. In fact, in most cases we are surrounded more by unbelievers than believers! They are either alive in Christ or the “walking dead”!
In his book “The Weight of Glory”, C.S. Lewis says, “There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilizations -these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat. But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub and exploit -immortal horrors or everlasting splendors.”
Such a profound thought! Jesus tells us clearly that there are more unbelieving than believing.
Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. Matthew 7:13-14
And so the Apostle Paul gives a clear admonition to those in Colossae and to us today on how we are to walk.
Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Colossians 4:5
Walk in WISDOM toward outsiders -Who are outsiders? Those who have yet to bow the knee to Jesus Christ. Those who are not followers of Christ. And the challenge from Paul is that we believers ought to walk in WISDOM around them! What does a WISE WALK look like? Well, he answers the question in the second half of the verse. “making the best use of the time.”
So, a believer is to demonstrate wisdom to the unbelieving world by making the best use of his or her time. What do you think Paul had in mind when he wrote this? Well, we get a clue from another letter that Paul wrote that sounds quite similar…
Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. Ephesians 5:15-17
And we see some similarities...Don’t live your life in an unwise way -be wise! How? By using your time well! Why? Because the days are evil! In other words, as we live in this sin-ravaged world, use your time well not by doing your will, not by doing the will of the world, but by doing the will of the Lord!
As Christians, we are agents of God sent on assignment. Picture yourself in the morning getting out of bed, hearing the “Mission Impossible” theme playing…
“Your mission, if you choose to accept it, is to carefully live your life in a WISE way among outsiders. This message will self-destruct in 5 seconds.”
You and I, because we are believers, choose to accept the mission. We choose to carefully live our lives in a wise way among outsiders. But where are the instructions on HOW to accomplish this? What does this even look like?
The wisdom of Christ is the Gospel. You and I have the glorious privilege of carrying the gospel of Jesus Christ to the “walking dead” among us. We have the honor of sharing the life-giving Word of God that is FOOLISHNESS to those who are dying but to those who have ears to hear, it is the sweetest sound one can ever hear. It is the sound of Jesus calling…
Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. Matthew 11:28-30
And the reason He can say that His yoke is easy and His burden is light is that He carried it for you to Calvary and hung on it, having his own soul tormented so you might find rest for yours. He bore the punishment that you so richly deserve and He gave you rest!
This is wisdom! This is the Gospel! And those of us who have submitted our lives to this profound truth now have the privilege to share it with those who are yet to come to faith in Christ.
You may be thinking, “God could never use me! I have no Bible or seminary degree. I get all tongue tied and sound like a fool! There are way better candidates out there that God can use other than me”.
For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” 1 Corinthians 1:26-31
The reasons you think God cannot use you for the communication of the Gospel are the exact reasons why He can, and He will.
So, how do you walk in wisdom? Walk like Jesus!
How do you make the best use of your time? Be a fool for Christ by sharing the wisest message ever given, the Gospel.
2. Use Your Words Wisely Because You Only Have So Much Time
Paul moves from the feet to the lips. Look at how he finishes his thought…
Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person. Colossians 4:6
Our words are powerful. Solomon reminds his readers of this fact in Proverbs 18.
Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits. Proverbs 18:21
And so, Paul, with his last admonishment of this letter, instructs this dear church to use their mouths for good! And his first instruction is...“Let your speech ALWAYS be gracious”.
James 3:8 says “no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.” And then Paul comes along and says quite the opposite.
But please notice that James says, “no human being can tame the tongue.”
But God can! God through the power of the Holy Spirit can change the speech of the redeemed man or woman to reflect the character and grace of God Himself. Only God can do this because only God can change the heart.
And so,Paul can legitimately say to these Christians in Colossae and to us as well, “Speak with graciousness”.
Now certainly we are to do this to all people, but in the context of this passage, Paul is referring to how believers ought to speak to unbelievers. There ought to be a marked difference in how a believer speaks in the world verses the unbeliever.
Grace (χάρις) -attractiveness, charm, winsomeness, favor, care/help, kindness.
This is how I picture Jesus talking with most people. I believe He spoke the truth in love! I believe He was charming, winsome, and kind.
Why would the woman at the well in John 4 continue to engage in a conversation with a Jewish Rabbi unless he was gracious in his speech? He said very hard things to her and about her. He knew she was in an adulterous relationship and told her about it and yet she wasn’t offended to the point of leaving the conversation! We don’t have the benefit of hearing the intonation of the exchange between Jesus and this woman, but I am willing to bet that even though He spoke hard truth to this unbelieving woman He did it with an abundance of grace and winsomeness.
We must speak truth to people. The unbeliever who remains unconverted will spend an eternity in hell. This is the raw, unadulterated truth.
By the way, what does this truth do to your heart? Does it break it? Does it tear it up? Does it cause compassion to well up in your soul?
That person you have worked with for 5 years that doesn’t know Jesus will spend eternity in hell unless they turn from their sin and turn to Jesus as their only hope for eternal life! Do you talk with them about this reality?
How do you talk with them about this reality? If we can learn anything from Paul and Jesus, it is we are ALWAYS GRACIOUS in how we talk to those who need Jesus.
But Paul doesn’t stop with graciousness. Because gracious speech in and of itself won’t draw someone into a saving relationship with Jesus. But if you throw a little salt in there, well, now you’re going to make them a little bit thirsty! I’m sure you have heard the old saying, “You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink.” Well there’s another saying that goes along with that one...“But you can put salt in their oats.” Why in the world would you put salt in a horse’s oats? Well, to make him thirsty of course!
Friends! You need to put a little salt in your gracious speech to make people thirsty for more!
You only have so many words to speak over the course of your life. And when I think of some of the foolish things I have said, it’s embarrassing! Why not purpose to do what Paul says in this passage? When it comes to dealing with that lost friend, neighbor, family member, whomever God places in your path, let your speech ALWAYS be gracious -and put a little salt in so they get thirsty for more -that you may know how you ought to answer each person.
Why don’t you try it this week? I’m sure you can find some time to obey the Lord and talk to someone about Jesus this week. Pray each day for God to direct you to the person who needs to hear about Jesus. And then, do it! Start up a gracious conversation with them and then ask them a salty question and see where God takes it!
Yes, we are busy people and our day planners and calendars are full to the point of overflowing! But, If we are going to be busy, perhaps we should be busy doing the things the Lord has on HIS PLANNER for us.
In light of this, what changes do you need to make to your planner to accomplish what God has for you in the time He has given you? May you make the BEST use of the time He has entrusted to you!