The War Over Time In The "Span Of Life"

I think time is worth warring over. Though I’m not sure I would be so rash to say that time is valuable. It can be valuable, dependent on what is being done with it, similar to money. Taking a look at the The Widow’s Offering in Mark 12, a smaller amount of money can be more valuable than an abundant amount if it is handled with faith and as a servant. Time, also, if handled with faith and as a servant, can be something that is valuable in a non-quantitative way.
As a blogger the last few months have clearly not been too fruitful and the reason I begin my comeback blog (and all three people who read this get really excited) with the topic of warring over time is because it would appear there has been a lot of time lost, and the casualties are all the great things that could have been had I warred more intensely, more earnestly, more passionately, with more love, with more faith, with more purpose! But no. Time passed. Each day with it’s individual minutes filled up with all the things I call “not much” and each 60 minutes filling up the hours of the days of the months that have trudged on like a hundred mile-long train, unstoppable, carrying all my actions. Briefly, let me desperately defend myself against my own use of words – the last few months have not been a waste, I have been, for the most part, well. Just not as well as I could have been, and definitely not as active – the train could have been longer considering the distance it has gone, though I will not dwell in regret. And I apologize for my lethargic blogging.
So again, I think time is worth warring over. I have many reasons for thinking this, but in this post (which will not be nearly as long as the previous) I will highlight three.
Firstly. Time is the medium in which we live, and therefore the medium we must use.
“Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.” (Colossians 4:5,6) Loaded. Not only must we make the best use of our time when dealing with outsiders but our speech needs to be seasoned with salt and wise. Things that God does, but woe to the person that thinks God will do it without faith and without time and without discipline, both discipline in your actions and discipline on you. We need to know and we need to act, and what better time to learn and to do than the time that is now? Time is the medium in which we live, so fight for it for the purpose and glory of God. Don’t lose that war.
Secondly. Time is dear.
“But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come. It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his servants in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to stay awake. Therefore stay awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning— lest he come suddenly and find you asleep. And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake.” (Mark 13:32-37) Time for us is far from unlimited. Whether were talking about Revelations, end-time stuff, or the end of your life. Therefore time is limited and dear; there is a certain amount of it that will be used, whether sleeping or awake. War against sleepiness, in the war against time. Don’t be anxious about it but pray. Pray for faith, pray for strength for righteous living, pray for usefulness in God’s goodness and His plan of mercy, pray for mercy and for a thankful heart - cause “which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?” (Matthew 6:27)
Thirdly. “The days are evil.”
In the 5th chapter of Ephesians, Paul, the writer, talks about holy living and walking in love. An extremely potent and challenging section of scripture that originally inspired this post (and the next! If the Lord wills it to be written). Paul says right after he quotes from various places in Isaiah (a hasty warning to “awake, O sleeper”) to “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.” (v. 15-17) Why does Paul say that the “days are evil”? I am no theologian or scholar, but I think Paul is telling us that we need to make war against the days and make the best use of our time, because if we don’t we fall right inline with the days, with the pattern, with the routine, and we become what the days are: evil. So then pray earnestly to understand the will of the Lord as we walk carefully. Make the best use of your time, war with the days.
So I think time is worth warring over. Warring against lethargy and selfishness, against pride and self-righteousness, and all sorts of evil (the “rulers”, “authorities”, “cosmic powers”, and “spiritual forces of evil” as mentioned in Ephesians 6) and sin. What though are we warring for? And I will close with this answer. That Jesus Christ died for our sins and that even though we are failures and sinful and not-deserving of God’s love, God’s wrath is satisfied in Jesus. Jesus died so that we could have mercy and God could remain perfectly just, to the glory of His name. We may grit our teeth and fight but in the love of Jesus and in His full mercy we have won the war against evil, death, and time. So, again, why do we keep warring on? Because Jesus has commanded us to for the glory of His name, and because of the glory of His name. I live for Jesus, and for the glorification of His name, and I will war for it against time, until the time comes when I have finished the good fight, and the race has been run, and the Lord calls me home. War over time for the glory of Jesus' name.

“In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” (1 Peter 1:6-9)