Sliding in under the wire

If I wait just 6 more days, it will have been 2 full months since I last posted. So, I am not going to wait and then I can't be accused of not posting for 2 months (just for 7 weeks, which may or may not sound worse!).

Today, I am just wondering. Wondering if my attitude towards posting is just like our attitude towards talking to a lost person. Do we wait until our own idea of the 11th hour to talk to someone about Jesus? Are so-called, death-bed conversions the fault of the person dying or the people who neglected to share? Again, I am just wondering.

English philosopher Edmund Burke could have been describing our generation when he said, "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good people to do nothing." Yes, if we do nothing then we should expect nothing in the way of change. If we truly care about the plight of people dying without the Savior, then we should be doing something. The fact that we are doing nothing shows we don't care. We always expend our resources (time, talent, money, etc.) on things we are truly passionate about. If you are unsure and would like to find out what is important to you, try this analysis over the next week.

1) Create a "grid" that is 24 columns across and 7 rows long. Label the columns 1 hour increments for the whole day (i.e., 12:00AM, 1:00 AM. 2:00AM, etc). Label the rows the days of the week (i.e., Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, etc.)

2) Now, when you begin this exercise, simply come up with a code that indicates what the majority of that hour was spent doing. For instance, I use "ZZ" for sleep, for the hours 12:00AM - 5:00AM, I would put "ZZ" in each block. Do something similar for every activity you do during the day and keep track. Again, label the hour according to the majority of the time spent during that hour.

3) At the end of the week, tally up the number of hours you spent in each of your activities. You should have 168 total when you complete the exercise. And, for that week, whatever had the highest number is what you spent the majority of your time doing.

Another way to measure priorities is to categorize your expenditures (e.g., tithe, car repair, home improvement, food, going out to eat, etc.) Go through your check book (or credit card statements) and tally up how much you have spent on each category. It will give you a snapshot of what was important to you financially.

The hard work begins after we do this kind of analysis of our life. If we don't like the results, we have to change. And that change will require effort and determination. So, find out what is taking all your resources (time, talent, money, etc.) and, if God convicts you through this exercise, change to be the full person God wants you to be. You can do it. And I think God would be pleased and we won't be waiting until the last minute to do things that are important. We won't be (like this post) sliding in under the wire.