Too Busy

for what

Matters Most

6 Priorities of the Christian Life that we Must Make Time for Today

John Stange

(c) 2014

Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Other Works by the Author

Words that Sting - How to handle destructive criticism like Jesus

Gospel Centered Marriage - Applying the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the major areas of your married life

Everyday Faith (Volume 1) - 31 Daily Devotions from the Book of Jude

Overcoming Anxiety - 12 Powerful Truths from Scripture for Defeating Worry and Fear

Table of Contents

Other Works by the Author

Introduction

Priority 1:  Don't Be Too Busy to Invest in Your Health

1.  Investing in our spiritual health

2.  Investing in our emotional health

3.  Investing in our physical health

Priority 2:  Don't Be Too Busy to Love your Neighbor

1.  Bear with each other

2.  Maintain hope

3.  Foster harmony

Priority 3:  Don't Be Too Busy to Cherish your Marriage

1.  Prepare to be tested

2.  Hold fast to each other

3.  Don't let your heart harden

Priority 4:  Don't Be Too Busy to Mentor Someone Younger

1.  At home

2.  In public

3.  On display

Priority 5:  Don't Be Too Busy for Planned Solitude

1.  People will try to stop you

2.  You'll still have plenty of opportunities to do good

3.  You'll benefit by taking a fast from distraction

Priority 6:  Don't Be Too Busy to Store Up Reward

1.  Build on the right foundation

2.  Your work will be tested

3.  Receive reward or suffer loss

Can I ask for a favor?

Introduction

Our lives are busy...much busier than we probably wish they were.  We're busy with all the things that we feel like we "must do", but we aren't carving out enough time for the things in life that matter most.

So what matters most in this life?  What does the Lord want us to focus our time and energy on?

In this book, we'll be taking a look at 6 vital priorities for the Christian life that we need to start carving out dedicated time for.  Each of these priorities factor heavily in our relationship with Jesus and spill over into our relationships with others as well.

Are you...

*Too busy to invest in your health?

*Too busy to love your neighbor?

*Too busy to cherish your marriage?

*Too busy to mentor someone younger?

*Too busy for planned solitude?

*Too busy to store up reward?

What would your life look like if these areas became your new priorities?

Each section of this book takes an in-depth look at what Scripture states regarding each of the above priorities.  By God's grace, we hope this work will be a useful tool in your spiritual growth as we delve deeply into this subject.

Priority 1:  Don't Be Too Busy to Invest in Your Health

1.  Investing in our spiritual health

And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, (Colossians 1:9)

Several years ago, I decided to start teaching my children about saving and investing.  I opened up individual accounts for them with an investment foundation where they earn 2% on their money and I encouraged them to save as much as possible.  Their saving is paying off.  They love when they get their statements in the mail and I'm pretty sure that each of my children could tell you exactly how much interest they earned last year from their investment.

There are even greater benefits that come to our lives through what is being invested on the spiritual level.  For years, the Apostle Paul travelled around the Roman Empire, sharing the gospel.  He taught, discipled and trained new believers.  He encouraged them to do the same for others and as a result, many people in the Empire came to faith in Christ.

Epaphras was one such person Paul had invested in, possibly during his time ministering in the city of Ephesus.  Just prior to Paul writing the book of Colossians, Epaphras had come looking for him, even though Paul was in prison at the time, to tell him about the church that had been started in Colosse.

I'm certain that Paul was thrilled when this news of a new church being planted reached his ears.  In the midst of his imprisonment, the Lord was bringing him much needed encouragement.  And ever since Paul had received the good news of the founding of the church at Colosse, he prayed faithfully for them.  He knew that they were young in the faith.  He knew that there was much about Jesus that they probably didn't yet understand.  He realized that their faith was probably being tested from all angles as they lived and worked in an area that was known for its licentiousness.  So he prayed for them daily.

His prayer for them is something that I would encourage you to pray for yourself, your spouse and your children.  As a father, I want my children to grow up to love Christ and to have a deep, mature faith in Him.  But I know that takes time and that certainly isn't something that would be automatically true of them in their youth.  Paul loved this church like a father so he prayed that they would be filled with the knowledge of God's will, wisdom and understanding.

How can that be true of us as well?  We're busy people, but investments need to be made in our spiritual health if we're going to grow.  Growth isn't as complicated as we often make it.  It begins with simple, childlike-faith in the Author of life - Jesus Christ

And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them. But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them. (Mark 10:13-16)

Growth continues through spending intentional time with Him through prayer and looking into His Word.  It is strengthened through relationships with other believers and it's deepened by living your faith in Christ out and being strengthened by Him to actively serve others.

For Christ's glory and with His power, make investments in your spiritual health.

2.  Investing in our emotional health

so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. (Colossians 1:10)

Walking is something that I truly enjoy doing.  When I was growing up, I felt like I knew every street and short-cut in my town.  I walked everywhere.  I delivered newspapers, visited friends and then sometimes I took long walks when I didn't know what else to do with my time.  I walked in the rain and the snow.  It didn't matter to me.  I just enjoyed it.  I once told a friend that, using side streets and shortcuts, I could make it from his house to my house in a different section of town before a particular song was finished playing on the radio.  He didn't believe me, but I proved it to him by calling him from my house before the song was finished playing.

Scripture uses the concept of "walking" to illustrate something of a deeper spiritual significance.  It's a term that refers to how we live and conduct ourselves.  Specifically, we're being told here that we are to walk or live in a manner that:

1.  Is worthy of the Lord,

2. Is fully pleasing to Him,

3.  Bears fruit in every good work,

4.  Is increasing in the knowledge of God.

There are two ways to approach a verse like that, and I have attempted both approaches.  One approach is helpful and effective.  The other approach will drive you crazy.  Many people select the crazy approach.

The crazy or "drive-you-crazy" approach is to try to do this without help.  Try to live your life worthy of the Lord.  Try to please Him in all things.  Try to do good works.  Try to increase in your knowledge of Him and do this all without seeking help and with total reliance on your own strength and perceived abilities.  I'm telling you, that approach will drive you nuts and it isn't the way of new life in Christ - even though it may look very spiritual to others from the outside.

The effective approach is where you come to a place of humility where you realize that you can't do any of this without Christ.  Without the coaching, empowerment and wisdom of the Holy Spirit, you will become self-righteous and very harsh and judgmental as you seek to live this out.  You will develop very unhealthy spiritual traits and emotional responses.  But with the Holy Spirit's help, based on the eternal truth of the Gospel of Christ, you can walk in the manner "worthy of the Lord."

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.  (2 Corinthians 12:9)

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.  (Acts 1:8)

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.  (James 1:5)

The Gospel tells us that Jesus came to rescue sinners who could never save themselves.  Our emotional health is directly affected by our perspective on this message of truth.  If you view the Gospel as something in the category of "infancy" or "lunacy", your emotional health will suffer.  If you view it through the lens of the daily nourishment that your heart has the privilege of delighting in, you will notice a healthy impact on your emotional health.

You will experience joy in knowing that, in Christ, you are pleasing to your Heavenly Father.  You will live as one who grasps the reality of what it means to be forgiven, cleansed, satisfied, adopted and accepted into God's family.  When those aspects of the Gospel sink into your heart and mind, your emotional health is impacted supernaturally.

3.  Investing in our physical health

May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. 13 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.  (Colossians 1:11-14)

I probably shouldn't admit this, because you'll probably start holding me accountable for it, but generally speaking, I have been attempting to incorporate some better dietary habits into my weekly food rotation.  I make generous exceptions for church dinners, holidays and other special events, but other than that, I have been cutting most sugar and flour out of my diet.  I tend to stress eat, so limiting the flour and sugar I'm eating has also eliminated most of the unhealthy things that I would be tempted to snack on.  I very well may drift off the wagon at some point, but for now, I'm trying to invest in my physical health.  I bring this up because there are spiritual, emotional and physical implications to what Paul expresses in this passage.

Paul prayed for this young church that they would be strengthened with all power, giving thanks to God the Father who has delivered us from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of His Son, Jesus Christ.  What kind of physical implications could there be in our lives from something that seems to be primarily speaking of spiritual realities?

Most evenings, I take about 10-15 minutes to discuss a portion of Scripture with my kids.  Recently, we were looking at the book of 1 John and we came across these verses:

whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.  (1 John 2:6)

Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling. 11 But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.  (1 John 2:10-11)

We discussed that these verses encourage us to live our lives in this world in a way that truly mirrors Jesus.  And further, we're to remember that once we are in Him, we are in the light.  We are no longer in the darkness and therefore we don't need to live like we're ruled by the darkness of sin.

That same truth is expressed in a different, but related way in Colossians 1:13.  We're told here that we were once living as members of Satan's domain of darkness.  When you're part of a domain, that means you're being dominated by something.  We were dominated and under the control of evil.  The intentions of our heart, the thoughts of our minds and the actions of our bodies proved that to be true.  But the moment we receive Christ, trusting that He is God, receiving His forgiveness, we are transferred to the domain of a new kingdom.  We are delivered from darkness and qualified through Jesus to live in His kingdom of light - forever.

And when this deliverance takes place for you, you won't be at peace with using your body as an instrument for sin.  You won't be at peace with your body being dominated by darkness because you have tasted the flavor of your new life in Christ and life in His kingdom surpasses all else.

"Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!  Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!"  (Psalm 34:8)

You're busy and I'm busy and the busier we are, the faster our time seems to escape us.  But let's not be too busy for what really matters.  Let's not be too busy to invest in our spiritual, emotional and physical health.  Let's not be too busy to recognize the investment that the Lord has made, is making and wants to make.  Allow Him to.  Invite Him to.  Taste and see that He is good.

Priority 2:  Don't Be Too Busy to Love your Neighbor

The book of Romans is a letter that was written by the Apostle Paul to the church in Rome near the end of his third missionary journey.  At the time of writing, Paul had never met these people in person.  The city of Rome was the largest city on earth at that point and was the political and financial center of the world.

The doctrine of our justification by faith is explained in detail throughout this book.  Specifically, Paul emphasizes that mankind is born into a state of sin and rebellion against God, but through faith in Jesus Christ, our relationship with our Creator is restored.

Paul also spends time in this letter speaking to some of the practical concerns of the Christian life and what it looks like to actually live out what we claim to believe.

Jesus told His followers to love their neighbor and from what I see, our "neighbor" is basically anyone on earth who is living at the same time as us.  But frequently, we can feel too busy to extend this kind of love so under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Paul gives us a picture of what it looks like to put Christ's words into practice in Romans 15.

1.  Bear with each other

We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. 3 For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.”  (Romans 15:1-3)

I was speaking with a friend not long ago and he told me about a very curious habit his father has.  It's a habit that puzzles him and we were speculating on how this pattern came to take root in his father's life.  He shared that his father makes it his point, when sitting down at a meal, to take the best of everything presented before him instead of deferring to his children or grandchildren.  His primary thought, at least in that context, is to please himself at the expense of others.  And lest we sound too critical of another, isn't this a struggle that we all share on one level or another?  Maybe we aren't as obvious about when we're putting our preferences over others, but we still find ourselves in this same predicament.

So Paul begins these verses by addressing this tendency - a tendency that apparently seems to be present even among believers who consider themselves "strong" in the faith.  But Paul reminds us here that if we truly are strong with the kind of strength that we receive as a grace from Jesus, we have an obligation to put up with the failings of the "weak" even if that means sacrificing our preferences.  Even if we feel like we have too much going on to put up with such "nonsense."

It's verses like these that almost make you want to say, "Um, Paul....you do know how annoying people can be, right?"  It think we are all acquainted with some of the same kinds of people;

*The Opinionated Guy

*The Loud Talker

*The Know-it-all

*The Bad Driver

*The Always Offended Guy

*The Gossip

*The Hyper-Sensitive Guy

*The Guy who can only see your sin and never his own

Since we all fail in some area, we're called here to put up with each others weaknesses, even when it isn't pleasing to do so.

And we do so in light of something critically important.  When we put up with the failings of others, we're showing honor to the very thing Jesus has done for us.

This Scripture reminds us that Jesus didn't come to earth and put up with everything He endured to please Himself.  Rather, He sacrificed His comfort to bring weak, intentionally rebellious people who think they're strong, to the place where we can find ultimate comfort for our self-pleasing hearts through Him.  And the reproach, criticism and shame that should have come upon us was placed on Him so that God could declare us holy and righteous.

So often, it's easy to read a passage like this and think of ourselves as the strong people that Paul was referring to.  I used to think I was strong and to be honest, I think there are a lot of Christians who think of themselves as strong.  But the longer I have known Jesus, the more I have come to realize that He is strong and in my flesh, I am weak.  And any strength that I exhibit is something that didn't find it's source in me, but rather in Him.

Therefore, if I am going to love my neighbor, the only way I can do so is through faith in Christ who loved me first.

2.  Maintain hope

For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.  (Romans 15:4)

Each year at Christmas, my wife and I try to buy our children practical gifts.  My rule of thumb is that if the gift is going to sit on a shelf and collect dust, we don't buy it.  I want them to have something that they will use.

My sons, being the age they are, are quite active and I found a very fun looking laser tag set for sale online that I was convinced they would love.  We gave it to them on Christmas, they opened the package and tried to use it, but it didn't work.  I told them all they needed to do was add batteries and then start shooting each other.  It still didn't work.

Eventually, we had to resort to the worst possible scenario for a father and his sons to come to.  We were forced to read the instructions and once we read them, we were able to get everything up and running.

The Scriptures have been given to us for the purpose of instructing our hearts.  The Bible points us to Jesus who is the source of our hope and the One to whom all the Bible is trying to direct us, but admittedly, we tend to spend a lot of time in this world living as if we don't possess very much hope.

And if we're really, really honest, we would also have to admit that we probably don't spend very much time reading the Scriptures.  We own copies.  We can access God's Word online for free.  We may even have the entire Bible downloaded to our phones.  We check Facebook one-hundred times a day and read every status and every comment, but our curiosity and craving for the Word of God is rather small.

I saw a video not long ago of a group of believers in China who were given copies of their very first Bibles.  They were thrilled.  They held their Bibles up to their faces and breathed in the smell of the leather, ink and paper.  They wept as they grasped what it meant to be able to read God's Word as often as they chose.  They kissed the books as they were unpackaged for them.  They knew what a gift it was to have God's Word in its entirety right in their hands and I was personally encouraged by seeing video of their joy.

We're told here, in the context of learning what it means to truly love our neighbor and what it means to be loved by Jesus, that He has intentionally provided us with a tool to help us grow strong in Him.  His Word is given to us to instruct us.  His Word is given to us to help us endure difficult seasons.  His Word has been given to us to encourage us.  His Word has been given to us to help us cherish the certain hope that is only found in Him.

But he answered, “It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”  (Matthew 4:4)

When God's Word speaks of hope, it's not speaking of wishes.  It's not speaking of dreams.  It's not speaking of possibilities.  It's speaking of guarantees.

It's telling you and me that we will experience many moments in this world that require more strength and endurance from us than we naturally possess.  Yet through Jesus, we can see beyond those moments and can know for certain that the outcome of it all is safely secured by Him.

We know the end of the story.  We already know it will all work out.  What do you suppose sustained Paul in His ministry?  What sustained the missionaries, martyrs and every other committed believer throughout the ages?  It was hope in Jesus Christ and that hope beams from the pages of God's Word.

3.  Foster harmony

May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, 6 that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.  (Romans 15:5-7)

When you have as many kids as I do, you spend a lot of time hosting birthday parties or transporting children to them.  Parties like that are fun and they're certainly major events on the social calendar of a child.

When we're adults, we sometimes have to do math just to remind ourselves what age we're turning, but not so with a child.  And it's very important that when it's time to blow out the candles on the birthday cake that the right person be the one to start the singing of "Happy Birthday."  There's nothing worse than your off-tuned uncle starting up the song because if he's off key, it's hard for the rest of the group to sing in harmony.

Harmony is a concept that we value in good music and the family of God is challenged in Scripture to actively foster a deeper level of relational harmony among ourselves as we interact and experience life together.  Paul speaks of that in this passage.

The church in Rome was made up of many people with very different backgrounds.  Some of the people grew up strictly following Jewish traditions.  Others were Gentiles who were mostly unacquainted with Jewish customs.  Now they were united in one body, the church, through their common faith in Jesus Christ and Paul recognized that blending the preferences and personalities of such different people could be rather difficult, even within the family of God.

But he prayed for them.  He prayed that God would grant them the grace to live in harmony with each other.  He prayed that just as they were united through their common faith in Jesus Christ, they would live in accord with each other and glorify God with one, united voice.  Like a chorus from being raised up from a grateful choir.

Complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.  (Philippians 2:2)

I still remember something that a new visitor to our church mentioned to me a while back.  He told me one of the first things he noticed about our church when his family started attending was that we sang enthusiastically.  I've heard similar comments from guests who have visited our church as well.

It's emotionally moving when a group of people sing together with one voice.  Paul gives us this kind of picture as he speaks of the harmony and unity that Christ has called His church to live in - that together, with one voice, we would glorify God as a family on mission together with Jesus.

There are and will be challenges to this sense of harmony.  At times, well meaning people can disagree about secondary things.  And when we disagree, often, our natural defensive response is to avoid each other - to effectively abandon our neighbor or write him off.  But we're challenged here to do the reverse.  Instead of avoiding each other, we're called to welcome each other, just as Christ has welcomed us.

Welcoming each other and making time for each other may seem like a sacrifice, but when tried, we discover it's really a blessing.  And God is glorified by it.

Not long ago, while many in our community lost their electricity during a winter storm, we had the opportunity to open our home to a family in the church.  For a couple days we ate meals together.  Our kids played together and we stayed up way too late in good conversation.  I can honestly say that we were a little bummed when their power came back on because we enjoyed the time together.

For Christ's glory, we're called to never be too busy to love our neighbor.

Priority 3:  Don't Be Too Busy to Cherish your Marriage

Human marriage is a good thing, but it isn't the greatest thing.  Some people look at marriage and think it's the primary thing that their heart needs to be ultimately satisfied.  Many of us have thought that at one point in life and some may still be thinking it today.

Jesus speaks of marriage in Matthew 19.  In that chapter, He speaks of its origins and its God-intended design.  As I was reading over this chapter not long ago, I couldn't help but realize just how controversial and even hated this passage may be in our current time.

Jesus tells us that it's not God's desire for us that we practice divorce.  CONTROVERSIAL

Jesus tells us that God has designed marriage to be exclusively between a male and a female.  CONTROVERSIAL.

Scripture tells us that marriage is designed by God to serve as a visible example of the love that Jesus has for His bride, the church.  I believe that this is the primary reason that it is attacked.  Darkness hates light and tries to snuff it out.  If marriage can be devalued, profaned or redefined, it's ultimate purpose can be veiled and our minds are then robbed of witnessing and experiencing something designed to point us to Jesus.

1.  Prepare to be tested

Now when Jesus had finished these sayings, he went away from Galilee and entered the region of Judea beyond the Jordan. 2 And large crowds followed him, and he healed them there.

3 And Pharisees came up to him and tested him by asking, “Is it lawful to divorce one's wife for any cause?”  (Matthew 19:1-3)

Years ago, I completed my Master's Degree and I was pleased when I had the opportunity to look over my final transcript.  I was happy with the grades I earned, with the exception of one class.  Near the end of the class, the original professor took medical leave and was temporarily replaced.  He had told us what to study for an upcoming test and I prepared according to his instructions, but his replacement created a different test that was completely different from what I had prepared for.  I did terrible on it and my grade suffered.

In the opening verses of Matthew 19, we're shown a moment where Jesus was tested.  He had been teaching and ministering in Galilee and now had moved to the region of Judea.  Large crowds or multitudes of people were following Him and Jesus was healing them of their diseases.  I can only imagine how many people He must have healed, but I get the feeling that it was a very large number.  And as He was pouring out this blessing, the blessing of His presence, teaching and healing, a group of jealous Pharisees attempted to test and embarrass Him.

Their intent seemed to be to ask Jesus to chime in on something that people have always had strong feelings about - something that I'm guessing they were hoping would upset and divide the crowd and influence many of them to stop following Him.  They tested Jesus by asking Him, "Is it lawful to divorce one's wife for any cause?"  You see what they were up to, right?  They didn't really want an intellectually honest answer.  They just wanted to cause Jesus trouble by putting Him in a spot where He would have to comment publicly on a divisive issue.

Jesus was prepared for them, and we see that from the answer He gives in later verses.  But as I look at this portion of Scripture and observe Jesus being tested regarding the subject of marriage, I wonder how many of us are prepared to be tested in the midst of our marriages.

I do a lot of marriage counseling, both "pre" and "post" marriage.  From what I see, many couples are quite surprised when their marriages face tests and many would admit that they have felt ill-prepared at times to address these tests.

Couples face all kinds of issues; health problems, financial stress, loss of affection, emotional strain, infidelity, grief and trauma, and many other concerns.  These things may come, but thank God we aren't left ill-equipped to face them.

The Scriptures encourage us to hold our marriages up to the light of the gospel, not just when we're being tested, but all along the way in preparation for what may come.  We're encouraged to mirror the love, compassion, mercy and forgiveness of Christ to our spouse.

If the atmosphere of our homes is one that is continually held up to the light of Christ, we'll be open to receive His wisdom and strength to endure the times of testing when they come.

2.  Hold fast to each other

He answered, “Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, 5 and said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? 6 So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.”  (Matthew 19:4-6)

I am a big fan of amusement parks.  My wife enjoys them too, but she enjoys them in a different way than I do.  I enjoy riding some of the rides and eating all of the food.  She enjoys watching the kids and me enjoy the rides.

From time to time, I try my best to convince her to ride something with me.  She doesn't always agree, but when she does, I'm quite happy.  I know she'll hate the ride, but I also know there's a good chance she's going to grab onto my arm and hold on for dear life for the next 90 seconds of her life.  It's a great way to bond as a couple.

Jesus takes a moment to reply to the Pharisees and explain to their manipulative hearts that God's intent is that husbands and wives hold fast to each other.  The Pharisees asked Him to share His thoughts on divorce, so Jesus took them back to God's design at the beginning.  It has always been God's intent that one man should marry one woman, that they would leave the home of their birth and establish a new family, that they would be intimate with each other, protective of each other and that they would hold fast to each other, regardless of the storms they would face.

Even though the Scripture Jesus quoted is quite familiar to me, I love the reminder that He gives us to "hold fast" to our spouses.  It literally means to be "united firmly" or "joined inseparably" together.  That's a pretty big deal and definitely not something that can be casually accomplished.  In fact, apart from the Lord's help, I don't believe we would have the capacity to do this in such a way that our hearts and our hands would both be in sync in the effort to hold firm.  Some people are good at keeping up appearances and holding fast with their hands, but it takes the strength and intervention that come as a gift through faith in Christ to hold fast to your spouse with your heart as well.

I believe that Jesus is trying to point our hearts to something that is a key truth of our relationship with Him.  The church is His bride.  He isn't casual or flippant about His relationship with us.  His love for His bride is a secure love that is anchored in His very nature.  He isn't holding loosely to us.  He isn't willing to let us slip from His grip because He's forgotten to pay attention to us.  He's got us securely in His hands, He's holding fast to us and under no circumstance is He willing to let us go.

"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. 30 I and the Father are one.” (John 10:27-30)

We are secure in Him on our best days and our worst days.  The vow that He made to keep us in His love forever is something that He will never rescind.  He will never divorce His bride.

Growing up in a home where my parents divorced when I was 8-years-old, this is a truth that really matters to my heart.  I remember promising my wife when we married that I would hold fast to her.  And I've told her that I have no intent of ever renewing those vows.  I don't think it's wrong to do that, and maybe I'm being a stickler, but that promise I made before Jesus to love and hold fast to her isn't negotiable and I don't plan on breaking it.

3.  Don't let your heart harden

They said to him, “Why then did Moses command one to give a certificate of divorce and to send her away?” 8 He said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. 9 And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery.”  (Matthew 19:7-9)

A few years back, I had to cut the drainage piping out of my basement and replace it.  It was the first time I had taken on a project quite like this, but I was determined to save myself money by not hiring someone to do something that I felt I could do myself.  Everything went fine.  It didn't take me too long to accomplish the task, but I learned something about the glue that you use to attach the pipes.  It sets extremely fast.  You have mere moments to attach the pipes together before the glue completely hardens.  It's something you basically get one try at.

The human heart has the capacity to harden rather quickly as well.  It doesn't take too many offenses, sometimes just one, before a root of bitterness creeps in and our hearts become rock solid.

Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God. Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many. (Heb. 12:15, NLT)

When you think about how relationships work, if you stop talking, stop admitting your mistakes, stop forgiving the mistakes of your spouse, stop lavishing grace and mercy upon them, start keeping record of their wrongs and start entertaining unrealistic expectations of mere humans, your heart can become quite hard and unloving.

Seeing that Jesus was encouraging the people not to engage in divorce, the Pharisees lodged what they felt was a loophole at Him.  Being that they had essentially memorized the Old Testament Law, they threw out an example from Deuteronomy 24 where Moses allowed men to write a certificate of divorce and end their marriage to their wives.  But Jesus explains that that wasn't the ideal.  It was a temporary concession that was allowed because the people's hearts were so hard.

At the time, Men were just throwing their wives out and this put the women in a very dangerous predicament in that culture.  Moses said that had to stop.  It could no longer be done.  He required that an official letter of divorce be written so that the wife would be able to remarry and reclaim her dowry.

This was designed to help protect women and to cause people to think twice about getting divorced.  But the Pharisees didn't think of it like that.  They looked at that and thought it provided a perfect opportunity for them to justify doing what their sinful hearts wanted.

I don't know what your day-to-day scenario is like nor do I know everyone's family history.  You may be in a very difficult marriage or you may be single.  You may have experienced divorce first hand or second hand and can testify to how difficult the experience is.  But if you're a Christian, you have a marriage that you're called to cherish.  You are the bride of Christ and He calls you to cherish your relationship with Him.  And if you're married or will one day marry, He calls you to cherish your relationship with your spouse in such a way that it provides the world a visible example of His love.

But this won't be easy.  Prepare to be tested.  Hold fast to each other.  Don't let your heart harden toward Christ or toward each other.  Never be too busy to cherish your marriage.

Priority 4:  Don't Be Too Busy to Mentor Someone Younger

The Apostle Paul's letter to Titus is a very interesting book in the New Testament.  Titus was the pastor of a church on the Mediterranean island of Crete.

History tells us that the people of Crete were known for their bad behavior and licentious living so the task of pastoring a church there would not have been left to someone who was faith of heart.

Paul commissioned Titus to put the church in order and to train up additional leaders.  Titus was called to mentor people who would then mentor others in the faith.  This is the system Jesus has encouraged all believers to have in place because in this way, people are lovingly cared for and shepherded in their faith.

If you're a Christian, who has the Lord been asking you to formally or informally mentor in the faith.  If you're a new Christian, who has the Lord been encouraging you to look to for mentoring in the faith? We'll see the value of this kind of relationship and it's impact for Christ as we look at Titus chapter 2.

1.  At home

But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine. 2 Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness. 3 Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, 4 and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, 5 to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled.  (Titus 2:1-5)

Not long ago, I had something happen that you typically wouldn't expect me or anyone to be thankful for.  The battery died in our minivan right when we needed to take our son to his basketball game.

Our large family was loaded in our van, ready to go, but we had no way of getting where we needed to be.  Then it dawned on me that the battery couldn't have died in a better place than where we were - our driveway.

I brought our smaller car over, jumped the battery, and drove to get a new battery for the van after dropping my family off at the gym.  As I jump-started the van, I decided to involve my kids in the experience.  I taught them how to use jumper cables and even showed them how they make a big spark if you let the ends touch so they would be careful not to let that happen.  It was a teachable moment.

Titus 2 opens by emphasizing the importance of teaching others.  As Paul was instructing Titus, he exhorted him to teach sound doctrine.  What he was conveying here was that Titus was commissioned to teach the people the truth of what it looks like to live in such a way that your life reflects true belief in Jesus Christ.

When some people hear the word "doctrine", they immediately think of theoretical concepts, but true biblical doctrine isn't merely meant to be known or debated, it's meant to be lived out in practical ways.  Our behavior is born out of what we believe.

In this context, Paul explained to Titus that he was to instruct those who were older so that they could invest in those who were younger.  He speaks of the Christlike life that was to be true of older men and older women who follow Jesus.  They are to be sound in life and faith and they are challenged to take those who are younger under their wing and in so doing, pass on the faith.  Doing so would give younger people a picture of the love of Jesus and both the home and society would be the beneficiaries.

In these verses in particular, there is a fair amount of detail given toward the training that would take place in the home.  Paul encourages the older women in particular to lovingly mentor younger women.  To show them what it looks like to carry themselves as believers in Christ, to order a home well, to love their husbands and children, to display the fruit of the Spirit and to elevate, not diminish, the leadership of their husbands in the home.  There's a lot that can be said about that, but I will say this, I believe a woman's response to this verse says a reveals a lot about her faith in Christ, her confidence in God's Word as well as her husband's character and the way he treats her.  If he shows her the love of Christ, that will often be displayed in her response toward him.  If he is unloving and insensitive to her, I believe that will also be displayed in some fashion.

One of the greatest opportunities we are given to participate in the work of Christ's kingdom is in our home.  If He has entrusted children or grandchildren to your influence, we're given a golden opportunity to help them grasp Christ's grace, mercy and love.

Hear, my son, your father's instruction, and forsake not your mother's teaching, 9 for they are a graceful garland for your head
and pendants for your neck. (Prov. 1:8-9)

In fact, I believe one of the greatest contributors to atheism in our day is the disengagement of fathers and mothers in their children's spiritual upbringing.

2.  In public

Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled. 7 Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, 8 and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us.  (Titus 2:6-8)

If I was a dog, I wonder what I would think about all the crazy things people made me do.  Sometimes I think dogs show extraordinary patience and self-control.

My wife's parents used to have a large dog named Penny.  Penny was very obedient - more obedient than most dogs.  From time to time, they would balance food on Penny's long nose and encourage her to keep it there for a little while.  You would expect a dog to just eat that food immediately, but Penny would always wait until she was given permission.  Her self-control was impressive.

As a testimony to the grace of Jesus, the men of the church were encouraged to be self-controlled because the way they conducted themselves would serve as a reflection on Jesus Himself.  I imagine that this would have been particularly difficult in their context.  The culture of Crete would not have encouraged young men to live self-controlled lives.

One of the Cretans, a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.” 13 This testimony is true. (Titus 1:12-13a)

The people of Crete had a reputation for being liars, evil, and gluttons.  Elsewhere in Scripture, people who live like this are described as the worshipping the god of their stomach which means their primary goal in life is to satisfy the appetites of their flesh.

We claim to worship Jesus, but many times, we bow the knee to the appetites of our flesh.  These verses encourage younger men to follow the example of older men in representing Christ in many ways, but that's hard to do when we're giving into our sin nature.

Would you like to know how you can successfully resist bowing the knee to the appetites of the flesh?  Rely on the Holy Spirit's power to help you seek satisfaction for your soul through Jesus.  Ask Him to help you believe the truth.  When you're stressed, tired or hungry, you will seek comfort in whatever you truly believe will satisfy you.  Is that currently porn?  Food?  Drink?  Overwork?  Hobbies?  Video Games?  Travel?  To what does your knee like to bow?

Our public testimony of Christ's grace in our lives is hindered at times because older men aren't mentoring younger men in the faith and younger men aren't exhibiting self-control.  No one is going to believe you when you tell them that Jesus changed your life until they can see the change - particularly in a moment where you're being tempted or tested.

I became serious about my faith in Christ when I was 15-years-old.  I had shared about His work in my heart with some of my friends, but I don't know how seriously they took me at the time.  Then a day came in our biology class where a tarantula was brought in for observation.  It was in an aquarium and our teacher wasn't initially in the room.

Knowing my reputation, my friends looked at me and instinctively knew that I was about to open that aquarium and set that spider free.  I walked up to it, opened the lid, then froze.  In that moment, the Holy Spirit convicted me.  I stood there for a minute and wrestled with the thought, then closed the tank and walked away.  A friend of mine looked at me, having observed what just took place and he said, "You've changed.  The old John Stange would have let it loose."

3.  On display

Bondservants are to be submissive to their own masters in everything; they are to be well-pleasing, not argumentative, 10 not pilfering, but showing all good faith, so that in everything they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior.  (Titus 2:9-10)

A major portion of our lives will be spent in the context of where we work.  Verses 9-10 of this passage were spoken into a context that we could apply to our employment, even though they aren't exactly the same.

During the era that these words were written, slavery was a very common practice in the Roman empire.  Sometimes, one of the most effective ways to change a evil practice is from within.  For Christ's glory, even those in the midst of this practice, "bondservants", were encouraged to be mindful of their testimony.

I don't know what you would consider to be your dream job, but I'm guessing that most of us aren't actually doing whatever that is.  I believe that many Christians probably would choose to have a different form of employment if certain doors were opened up to them.  There may even be times when you feel like you're a slave to your employer, your career or your financial obligations and as a result, you feel locked in to where you're working.  Why do you suppose God has you where you're at?  Have you ever considered that it's intentional?

One of the biggest "A-Ha!" moments I have ever had in my job was when I realized that there is a big difference between seeing yourself as a professional and as a missionary.  I used to see myself as a professional pastor.  As a professional, you view your work through a lens of status, recognition, accomplishment and reward.  When those things are present, you feel fulfilled in your work.  When they are absent, you experience discontent.

But as a missionary, you start seeing things from the bigger picture or the ultimate mission.  You see yourself as one who has been sent by Jesus to walk through the doors of service that He opens for you.  You view the people you work with and the context you work in as something God has ordained for you so that you may represent Him and glorify Him there.  And by His grace, you experience Him putting people in your path that you have the opportunity to point to Him.

This is the very thing that the bondservants Paul addressed were experiencing as they would "adorn" or display like an ornament the doctrine of God our Savior.  They would make this truth attractive to those who had not yet believed.

We have not been designed to operate alone.  We have been intentionally designed by God to invest in the lives of others and likewise be invested in by others.  When this process is taking place, the church grows both in spiritual depth and in numbers.

"It is better to train ten people than to do the work of ten people. But it is harder." - Dwight Moody

Who has God placed in your life that He wants you to carve out time for?  Who has God placed in your life that He wants you to observe and learn from?  Let's not be too busy to mentor someone younger and set them up for success in their walk with Christ at home, in public and when Christ puts them on display.

Priority 5:  Don't Be Too Busy for Planned Solitude

Being around people is something that I usually appreciate.  But something I have learned about myself in recent years is that it's possible to be with others too much.  It's possible to spend so much time seeking to meet the needs of others that you can become drained of energy and less willing to do the very things that God has called you to do.

A woman in my church asked me a question a few months ago after a particularly busy week.  She asked me, "Don't you ever relax?  When do you rest?"  It was a fair question and she seemed relieved when I told her I had developed a pattern that was helping me.

I explained to her that I was doing my best to take a full day off on Mondays, that I had purchased a kayak, and I was spending my Monday mornings floating in the middle of the lake without a cell phone or any other means of communication.  She told me that was good and I should keep doing that.

And while that seems like it would be easy to do, for me it really isn't.  I often struggle with feeling guilty when I'm not doing something.  But I think the message of Scripture that I need to be reminded of is that life is not ultimately about what I do, but what Jesus has done.  And I need to carve out time, in solitude to reflect on that.

How about you?  How much time do you have in your weekly schedule where it's just you and Jesus?

1.  People will try to stop you

42 And when it was day, he departed and went into a desolate place. And the people sought him and came to him, and would have kept him from leaving them, 43 but he said to them, “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns as well; for I was sent for this purpose.” 44 And he was preaching in the synagogues of Judea.  (Luke 4:42-44)

Just before the events of this Scripture took place, Jesus had just spent a day healing many people of all kinds of diseases.  We're told that He had just healed every single person who was brought to Him that day.  He also cast demons out of those who were possessed.  I'm sure that was an exhausting process and after a day like that, I imagine that rest and solitude would be a welcomed reprieve.

This Scripture opens up by telling us that Jesus began the next day by departing from the people and seeking a desolate place.  He was seeking a place of privacy where He would spend time away from the crowds, in fellowship with the Father.

It's becoming harder and harder to find places like that.  And it's not because we're running out of space.  It's because we live in an era where it's practically considered rude and inconsiderate to not be immediately available the second someone wants you.

One of the benefits of living in the Information Age is that people can reach us, anytime and anywhere.  One of the detriments of living in the Information Age is that people can reach us, anytime and anywhere.  Case in point:  I was teaching a class not long ago and during the class, my 5-year-old nephew decided that he missed me, so he took his mother's phone and video called me so he could see me even though I live several hours away.

But Jesus chose to go to a desolate place.  It doesn't seem like His intent was to stay there long.  It wasn't like he was going to abandon His earthly mission to provide salvation for humanity.  He just wanted some time alone with the Father.  Time for prayer and rest.  Time for fellowship.  And time whereby He could set us an example of how we should also pattern our lives.

How did the crowd of people respond to Christ's decision to spend some time in solitude?  They weren't having it.  Once they realized that He wasn't in their midst, we're given the impression that they hunted Him down until they found Him.

On one hand, I can respect their desire to be with the Savior.  On the other hand, they illustrate a reality that will most often be the cause that prevents us from spending time with the Savior.  You may try to spend time alone with Jesus, but other people will try to stop you.

There are people in your life who love you and for many of us, there are people in our lives that are depending on us for things they need.  Spouses, children, parents, friends, co-workers, neighbors and people you don't even like may be relying on you for something they need or feel they need.  What are you supposed to do?  Ignore them?  Risk their safety?  Stop providing care for them?  Of course not.

But even though well-meaning people along with your busy schedule may make it difficult for you to get alone with Jesus, I would encourage you to still make the attempt.  You'll be in a much better position to serve them after you've spent some distraction free time with Him.

2.  You'll still have plenty of opportunities to do good

12 While he was in one of the cities, there came a man full of leprosy. And when he saw Jesus, he fell on his face and begged him, “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.” 13 And Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I will; be clean.” And immediately the leprosy left him. 14 And he charged him to tell no one, but “go and show yourself to the priest, and make an offering for your cleansing, as Moses commanded, for a proof to them.” 15 But now even more the report about him went abroad, and great crowds gathered to hear him and to be healed of their infirmities.  (Luke 5:12-15)

I live in Pennsylvania and some years, the winter months can be rather difficult.  In addition to the unpleasant weather, we also tend to see an increase in illnesses and the spread of viruses.  Depending on how much of a germaphobe you are, you may find yourself being cautious about touching doorknobs and light switches.  Maybe you're hesitant to shake hands.  If your kids get sick, you're probably cautious not to bring them to places where they might infect other children.

This Scripture tells us of a man who had an illness - the disease of leprosy.  Leprosy was greatly feared in that time because it could be highly contagious and there was no known cure.  This man is described as being "full of leprosy" which gives us the impression that the disease may have been quite advanced.

I'm guessing that this man lived in exile.  Leprosy is a disease that damages the nerve endings and he had probably done considerable damage to his appendages (fingers, toes, nose) without realizing at the time that he had done so.  This man was in a desperate and humble state.  He begged Jesus to make him clean.

No one had probably touched this man in years.  People would have been afraid to.  But Jesus stretched out His hand, touched the man and told him that He was willing to heal him.  Then He said, "be clean" and the disease left his body.  What a beautiful example of God's compassionate heart.  This humble man sought the healing that only Christ can provide.

Mankind is in the same kind of condition as this leper, but often, since we're so used to our symptoms and their effect, we don't realize just how sick we are.  We tell ourselves that we're healthy and getting better.  But the truth is, we need Jesus to heal us from the inside out.  We need Him to cleanse us of the infection of our sin - a disease that we were born with and pass along to our children.  Jesus is willing to heal us, but we must come to Him in humble belief and it seems to me that we won't come to Him at all until we're convinced that we can't heal ourselves.

When we look at this Scripture, we can see that Jesus did a very good thing for this man.  And it's interesting to observe that the time He was spending in solitude didn't rob Him of plenty of opportunities to do good.  In fact, this man testified about what Jesus had done for him and even greater crowds began to gather.

It may be that you are hesitant to seek some solitude with Jesus because you believe that doing so will prevent you from doing good for others.  In fact, that may be your favorite excuse or your go-to defense for not planning times of solitude with Christ.  But the example Christ gives us is that we'll likely have even greater opportunities to accomplish His will if we're carving out dedicated time just for Him.

3.  You'll benefit by taking a fast from distraction

But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray.  (Luke 5:16)

A few years back when I directing a camp and conference center, I got a call from one of my friends.  He asked me if I would be OK with him coming to the conference center by himself to spend some time alone in prayer and in Scripture reflection for what he called a "personal retreat."  I thought that was a great idea and welcomed him to do so.

Not long after that, I received a call from a woman who was in recovery from an addiction requesting to do the very same thing.  I thought this was a great idea and it's something that I would personally like to get in the habit of doing.

When I was in high school, I had a rather large closet.  It was space that was underneath a stairwell.  When I wanted to get a good grade on an exam, I would sit down in that closet, close the door behind me, get rid of all distractions and study for my test.  My grades improved considerably the more I did this.

Jesus withdrew to desolate places to pray.  Over and over He did this.  This was a regular pattern for Him during His earthly ministry, not just a one time event.  People would swarm Him.  He would serve them.  He would meet their needs.  He would teach them.  He would heal them.  He would offer them eternal life if they would simply believe in Him.  Then He would withdraw to desolate places to pray and prepare to do it all over again.

Many of us aren't withdrawing to desolate places to spend time with Jesus and as a result, I think He misses us.  Likewise, I think some of us are missing Him.  The evidence of this may be the anxiety and exhaustion you carry on your back every day.  You're trying to hold up your small section of the world and keep everything from slipping, but what's really going on is that you're trying to do His job with your power and that doesn't work.  He wants to do His job and He wants you to start relying on His power, not your own.

Have you ever fasted?  Most often we think of fasting in terms of choosing not to eat food for a certain duration of time, but the term could be used much broader than that.  For Christians, the purpose of fasting can be to temporarily remove a distraction that gets in the way of you spending time with Jesus.  Instead of devoting your time, energy and attention to the distraction, you devote that time to Him - joyfully spending time in His presence.

What might you be willing to take a brief fast from so that you can engage in some planned solitude with Christ?  When do you think you might be willing to do it?  Let me encourage you to write down sometime in the next week when you're going to give this a try.  Write down the exact time and location where you would be willing to do this.

Jesus has set us an example and He encourages us to follow His lead while relying on His power.  Just as He carved out time for planned solitude, let's follow His example and do the same so that our fellowship with Him is given greater opportunity to blossom.

Priority 6:  Don't Be Too Busy to Store Up Reward

1 Corinthians 3 is a chapter in Scripture that speaks about an important truth that often gets forgotten.  It's entirely possible that at first glance, it may not seem terribly important or critical, but if you spend the rest of your earthly days applying this truth to your life, you'll be glad that you did for all eternity.  This chapter speaks about the blessing of heavenly reward.

Multiple places throughout Scripture, Jesus and those He has communicated through bring up the subject of believers receiving reward in Heaven in connection to their faithfulness to Him while on earth.

but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.  (Matthew 6:20)

Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.  (Colossians 3:23-24)

But this is something that we're often too busy to live out.  Our lives and our hearts are frequently consumed with what will bring us earthly pleasure or earthly reward.  Our attention span is short and our craving for immediate gratification is both short-sighted and harmful.

How can we become less busy with being consumed with the "immediate" and more intentional about our focus on the "ultimate"?

1.  Build on the right foundation

According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. 11 For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.  (1 Corinthians 3:10-11)

There is an interesting building at the Pocono Mountain Bible Conference that holds a sweet spot in the hearts of many.  The chapel which most people call the "Tabernacle" was the first building built on the property after the camp was established in the 1950's.  It's not an impressive looking building, even though many have made decisions for Christ under it's roof.  But the building is crooked, it's roof is wavy and the top of it's walls bow out.  It's major problem is it's foundation.  The building was constructed in 1955.  It's foundation was poured in 1956.  The building isn't resting on a poured cement pad.

Paul begins this passage by describing a foundation.  The foundation he is referring to is the foundation that both his life and his ministry have been built upon.  This foundation that he is referring to is Jesus Christ, the Rock of our salvation.

Paul even goes so far as to refer to himself as a "skilled master builder."  The work he was doing wasn't careless or thoughtless.  He wasn't just haphazardly making decisions.  He was laying the foundation of the gospel of Jesus Christ upon which the whole church is built.

As we look at his words here, I want you to pick up on something.  How was Paul doing this building?  He makes an important distinction right away when he states that this work was being done, "According to the grace of God given to me."  There's a big difference between work that is done in our wisdom and fueled by our will and work that is empowered by the grace of God, accomplished according to His wisdom and always submitted to His will.

But that being said, it's clear here that we're to be about the work of building and the building that we're doing is to be founded on Jesus Christ.  In fact, we're told here to "take care" how we build on this foundation.  The work that we do for Christ's glory is how we join Him in the work of building His church.  What else does the Bible teach about our works?

Scripture makes it clear that salvation is a free gift that is given to anyone who will place their trust in Jesus Christ.

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.  (Ephesians 2:8-9)

Our good works do not earn us salvation because nothing we could ever do could be as good as the work Christ accomplished on the cross when He purchased our salvation.  But once we are saved, it is God's expectation of us that we will joyfully get to work - primarily motivated by our delight in Him more so than a reluctant sense of duty.

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.  (Ephesians 2:10)

The interesting thing is that I don't believe the works that the Lord is calling us to do need to necessarily be grandiose or highly visible.  I think He's referring to every small or large opportunity He gives us to do exactly what He wants us to do in a given moment.  This could be something as simple as providing a meal for a new mother or something as grand as preaching the gospel before thousands.

2.  Your work will be tested

Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— 13 each one's work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done.  (1 Corinthians 3:12-13)

Not long ago, we enjoyed dinner with some friends who just bought their first home.  We haven't seen it in person yet, but the pictures we saw online are beautiful.  They have been in their home for less than a year and they're starting to notice a few things that they didn't see before.  Time and use are starting to reveal many of the shortcuts and inferior materials the previous owners used when getting the house ready to sell to them.  As they were listing all the repairs they now need to make, I could sympathize with their frustration.

There is going to come a day for each of us when the work we have done and the life we have lived in this world is going to be examined closely.

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.  (2 Corinthians 5:10)

Those who believe in Jesus Christ will one day be called before His throne to give an account.  What we have done during the time He has given us in this world will be tested.

Please keep in mind as we contemplate this, that this judgment is not about whether we spend eternity in Heaven or Hell.  Our future in Heaven is secure if we have faith in Jesus.  This judgment for Christians that this Scripture speaks of relates to how we have obeyed Him - how willingly we listened to His voice after He saved us.

There are six kinds of materials that this Scripture mentions when speaking of what we can use when seeking to build on the foundation of Jesus Christ:  gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay and straw.  Some people have gone to great lengths trying to figure out what each of these materials might represent and I think that over-analysis can often miss the point.  As I look at this passage, I see six materials, but those six materials fall into two categories.  Materials that are refined or purified by fire and materials that are destroyed by fire.

How long has it been since Jesus saved you?  What have you been doing since that day?  Have you been giving Him your best or your leftovers?  Is Jesus your first thought or an afterthought?  Are you seeking to be empowered by His grace to serve Him joyfully or is serving Him something that feels like more of a duty than something you enjoy?  And with all that being said, what do you expect to be the outcome when your work is tested?

Recently, someone I grew up with helped put out a nearly catastrophic fire in his neighbor's home.  She had turned on the wrong burner on her stove and caught her kitchen on fire.  He ran over and put the fire out.  The house would have been lost if he hadn't.

The concept of fire is used in this passage to give us a picture of the intensity of our Lord's testing procedure.  When something is held up to the light and heat of a flame, you know for certain what it was made from.  Inferior work and inferior materials are consumed.  Superior work and materials are refined.  How ready are we to be tested that intensely?

3.  Receive reward or suffer loss

If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.  (1 Corinthians 3:14-15)

Jonathan Edwards is one of the most well known preachers in American history.  The Lord used his preaching to point many hearts to Jesus and help spark a revival of faith in America.

During the 1700's, popular speakers like Edwards were often paid large sums to travel and speak.  When Edwards was offered that chance, he turned it down.  He explained that the Lord had made it clear to him that he was to continue pastoring his church in New England and he would rather listen to the Lord's voice than be showered with earthly riches.  Heavenly reward motivated him greater than earthly treasure.

What do you suppose we'll think about when we're in Heaven and we're reflecting on the life we have lived here on earth?  I wonder what I would go back and change if I had the liberty to do so.  I wonder about how much reward I'll receive or how much loss I'll experience.  I wonder about the unassuming people that I meet every day, people who love Jesus, listen to His voice and serve Him in seemingly invisible ways each and every day.  I'm guessing we're in for some major surprises.  I'm convinced that many of the most visible Christian leaders of our day are going to enjoy far less reward in Heaven than some of these quietly faithful men and women who faithfully listen to the voice of Jesus, moment by moment.

This Scripture tells us that when the work of our lives that is built on the foundation of Jesus is tested, we will receive a reward.  On top of the salvation that we have received as a gift from Jesus, we will receive a reward for serving Him with our lives.  If the work of our lives does not survive this test, we will still be saved, but from Heaven's perspective, our salvation will look a lot like someone who has been rescued from a burning building.  They're alive and well, but everything they worked for is up in smoke.

With that being said, I want to finish this book with a word of encouragement to those of you who remain faithful to Christ and seek to obey and serve Him.

Even though no one may ever throw you a party, write books about you or even pat you on the back...Even though it may feel like no one is thankful for the sacrifices you make and the hard work you do flies completely under the radar, the Lord knows and He sees it all.  Even the small ways that you bless others are of value to Him and He promises to reward you for it.

And whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.  (Matthew 10:42)

For God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love that you have shown for his name in serving the saints, as you still do. (Hebrews 6:10)

Our time on this earth is brief.  Our time in the world to come is not.  The time to be storing up heavenly reward is now.  Build on the foundation of Christ.  Remember that your work will be tested.  Understand that you will either be receiving reward or suffering loss, but let that be a powerful motivator for you to make every moment count for Christ.

Can I ask for a favor?

If you enjoyed this book, would you be willing to share your review and personal testimony on Amazon?

There are others who would greatly benefit from hearing the testimony of how the Lord has been working in your heart and life.  Please take a moment and share that testimony as you leave your review of this book.

Thank you!

John Stange

Table of Contents

Other Works by the Author

Introduction

Priority 1:  Don't Be Too Busy to Invest in Your Health

1.  Investing in our spiritual health

2.  Investing in our emotional health

3.  Investing in our physical health

Priority 2:  Don't Be Too Busy to Love your Neighbor

1.  Bear with each other

2.  Maintain hope

3.  Foster harmony

Priority 3:  Don't Be Too Busy to Cherish your Marriage

1.  Prepare to be tested

2.  Hold fast to each other

3.  Don't let your heart harden

Priority 4:  Don't Be Too Busy to Mentor Someone Younger

1.  At home

2.  In public

3.  On display

Priority 5:  Don't Be Too Busy for Planned Solitude

1.  People will try to stop you

2.  You'll still have plenty of opportunities to do good

3.  You'll benefit by taking a fast from distraction

Priority 6:  Don't Be Too Busy to Store Up Reward

1.  Build on the right foundation

2.  Your work will be tested

3.  Receive reward or suffer loss

Can I ask for a favor?