Dear Members and Friends of IBCZ,
The message last week had to do with the precious gift of time God gives us – 24 hours each day, or 1,440 minutes, or 86,400 seconds. It is God’s gift to us, and it is up to us to decide how we use it. And of course, no matter how we use our time, once it is gone, it is gone. We cannot reclaim yesterday’s time in hopes of using it better. Time is a non-renewable resource.
This being the case, it is important to be intentional about our use of time. We must discern what is most important for us as followers of Jesus, and then plan how we can bring that about. This doesn’t mean there can be no time for fun or relaxing activities, because we need those as well. But if we do not specifically plan to do those things that are most important for us, they will not happen.
In terms of our relationship with Christ, that is a lifelong journey of growth for all of us. What steps might we take this year to nurture that growth?
Maybe some of us recognize that we have not been spending enough time reading, studying, and reflecting on God’s Word so that it informs our thinking and shapes our character. If God’s Word is to really be a part of us, we need to plan for that. For some, it might mean adopting a specific Scripture reading plan for this year, perhaps reading through the Bible this year. Or if that is not possible, to at least read through the New Testament. Others of us may take a time-centered approach. Instead of determining to read through a certain amount of the Bible, we dedicate a certain amount of time, maybe fifteen minutes a day, to reading the Bible. Of course, we need to include prayer with this also.
Maybe some of us need to do something in addition to Scripture reading. We could determine to read other books this year, say five books, that will aid our walk with Christ. They could be biographies of Christian leaders, missionaries, or lay Christians who had a significant impact for Christ. Or they could be books that help us understand Christian doctrines or ones that deal with practical Christian living. If we are married, with our spouse we could read a book on nurturing our marriage from a biblical perspective. The same would go for Christian parenting if we have children.
Most growth happens only as we intentionally take the steps that will enable that growth to take place. Let’s make this a year in which we nurture our relationship with Christ, and thus grow more like Christ.
Grace and peace,
Pastor Bob