Commitment
Commitment!
Have you ever made a vow or a commitment to someone and then wondered how you were going to fulfill it? The busyness of your life suddenly got busier and the time that you had suddenly got less. What do you do in a situation like that? Do you explain that your time is more limited now and you can’t do it? Do you expend the strength of your life trying to fulfill it? What do you do?
I think a lot of that has happened in families in America, in marriages in America. The people we leave out in the time zone are our families, our children, our spouses. Not enough time---well my kids won’t mind; my wife/husband understands. Then we wonder why our children are rebellious, why we no longer seem to have an intimate relationship with our spouse. We all have been or are guilty of this neglect. Time after time the scenario is played out.
What do we do about it? I tell you what we do about it. We cut out some of what we call the “necessary” things in our lives. How much time does it take to play a game with your child if they are little? How much time does it take to have a meal together and talk if your family is older with more mature young people? One of the best places to take time together is over a meal. Turn off the television, put away the CD player, and communicate with one another. Taking time for one another says to the other person: You are valuable to me. I care about you because I am focusing on you.
The Father, Jesus, the Holy Spirit always have time for us. Their line is never busy. We never get a recording telling us we are valuable; just stay on the line and someone will be with you shortly. And then every minute that same recording plays over and over. If you are like me, sometimes I hang up and say that’s ridiculous. I think that’s what we do in relationships. We hand up emotionally, saying to ourselves, valuable, yeh, right! Who are you kidding! I’m just another dial on the phone.
Let’s take a good, hard look at our relationships today, take an assessment of where we are with our children, our parents, our spouses, our friends. Are we allowing other things to get in the way of our time with them? Are we putting more value on something else than them?
My father is getting older and I value my time with him more and more. I lead a very busy life, which I enjoy, because it is a life of ministry to others. But I take time for my dad because he is important to me. We enjoy our time together. We may not do anything sometimes. We just visit. I want to hear about his day. We talk every morning and every night. It’s important to both of us.
I leave an open slot for my son every day to call me if he wants. Some people say that is foolish since he is a grown man, but our conversations have kept him many times when he just needed a mom to listen—the one who never condemns him or says he can’t do it.
My husband and I have dates so that we can get away from the telephone and the busyness of our home. Sometimes we just go eat somewhere and come back home, but we have gotten away from our usual environment. There is something about getting away from your familiar surroundings that triggers communication and fun. We may only take a drive. But we purpose to do something on a regular basis.
And everyone is to take time for themselves, to rest, to “kick back” and relax, to do what they enjoy.
If you don’t make time, you won’t have time.
And the most important time slot is reserved for you and the Lord. Do you spend time with Him every day? Out of that time spent comes the ability to fit in everything else. He is so desirous of being with you and me. He loves to sit with us and love on us. And you know, He will order your day and provide the time you need for everything you are supposed to do and get done.
All of this sounds like a tall order, but the Lord will handle it for you if you give it to Him to make your schedule. Time is a gift from God to His man while he is on this earth. If we yield it to Him, He will take care of it for us. We will some day give an accounting for what we did with the 24 hours he gave us each day. Let Him take over your time. Let Him order your day. You will be totally blessed by all you accomplish.
Have you ever made a vow or a commitment to someone and then wondered how you were going to fulfill it? The busyness of your life suddenly got busier and the time that you had suddenly got less. What do you do in a situation like that? Do you explain that your time is more limited now and you can’t do it? Do you expend the strength of your life trying to fulfill it? What do you do?
I think a lot of that has happened in families in America, in marriages in America. The people we leave out in the time zone are our families, our children, our spouses. Not enough time---well my kids won’t mind; my wife/husband understands. Then we wonder why our children are rebellious, why we no longer seem to have an intimate relationship with our spouse. We all have been or are guilty of this neglect. Time after time the scenario is played out.
What do we do about it? I tell you what we do about it. We cut out some of what we call the “necessary” things in our lives. How much time does it take to play a game with your child if they are little? How much time does it take to have a meal together and talk if your family is older with more mature young people? One of the best places to take time together is over a meal. Turn off the television, put away the CD player, and communicate with one another. Taking time for one another says to the other person: You are valuable to me. I care about you because I am focusing on you.
The Father, Jesus, the Holy Spirit always have time for us. Their line is never busy. We never get a recording telling us we are valuable; just stay on the line and someone will be with you shortly. And then every minute that same recording plays over and over. If you are like me, sometimes I hang up and say that’s ridiculous. I think that’s what we do in relationships. We hand up emotionally, saying to ourselves, valuable, yeh, right! Who are you kidding! I’m just another dial on the phone.
Let’s take a good, hard look at our relationships today, take an assessment of where we are with our children, our parents, our spouses, our friends. Are we allowing other things to get in the way of our time with them? Are we putting more value on something else than them?
My father is getting older and I value my time with him more and more. I lead a very busy life, which I enjoy, because it is a life of ministry to others. But I take time for my dad because he is important to me. We enjoy our time together. We may not do anything sometimes. We just visit. I want to hear about his day. We talk every morning and every night. It’s important to both of us.
I leave an open slot for my son every day to call me if he wants. Some people say that is foolish since he is a grown man, but our conversations have kept him many times when he just needed a mom to listen—the one who never condemns him or says he can’t do it.
My husband and I have dates so that we can get away from the telephone and the busyness of our home. Sometimes we just go eat somewhere and come back home, but we have gotten away from our usual environment. There is something about getting away from your familiar surroundings that triggers communication and fun. We may only take a drive. But we purpose to do something on a regular basis.
And everyone is to take time for themselves, to rest, to “kick back” and relax, to do what they enjoy.
If you don’t make time, you won’t have time.
And the most important time slot is reserved for you and the Lord. Do you spend time with Him every day? Out of that time spent comes the ability to fit in everything else. He is so desirous of being with you and me. He loves to sit with us and love on us. And you know, He will order your day and provide the time you need for everything you are supposed to do and get done.
All of this sounds like a tall order, but the Lord will handle it for you if you give it to Him to make your schedule. Time is a gift from God to His man while he is on this earth. If we yield it to Him, He will take care of it for us. We will some day give an accounting for what we did with the 24 hours he gave us each day. Let Him take over your time. Let Him order your day. You will be totally blessed by all you accomplish.
posted by Rev. Kialeen Potterton @ 6:22 AM
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