It's a little later than I anticipated today but at least I'm on and have something to say. That's a start. Anyway, the topic today is how we spend our time and how easy it is to lose site of our priorities. You probably are wondering why I bring this up after discussing God being our anchor. Well, I think the two topics actually go hand in hand. I'll let you decide.
This morning I was woken up by my husband at 6:00 am CST because my youngest son was still up. He loves to play games with some of his friends and I have let him because he does everything he's supposed to. However, it's been on my mind that he just really doesn't have boundaries and this was my last straw. So like a concerned parent I went down to talk to my son about what he was doing and my feelings behind it. What should I have expected? I thought maybe we could have a reasonable talk about it but no that was not to be had. Instead, I got a very defensive 18 year old telling me why he should do what he's doing. It really is like talking to a wall sometimes but it's my job to penetrate that wall. I have been asking God for a way to change what I believe is becoming an addiction. I'm sure many that are parents would say just take it away from him. That's one solution but I won't have control much longer so I need a way to help him set boundaries and to work within them so that he will be able to run his life better.
Right now he's just a kid but eventually he will have to set his own boundaries. During our discussion, he used every argument in the book and as I have always thought, he would be an excellent lawyer. His thought process and ways of reasoning outweigh most teenage minds. The problem is he is still a teenager and he is my responsibility. And in some ways, I guess I feel as though I have failed in this area. Well everything changes today. While he is at practice, I will set controls on his system so that he can only play games up to a certain time and then his computer will turn off. Taking it away will not help him control himself, it will only agitate him. My plan is to control what he can't himself and my hope is that eventually we can have a conversation about why I did what I did. He won't like it either way but this is what I feel must be done.
I think what's bothering me the most are some of his points in the argument. He talked about my reading and when I go to bed. All legitimate. I love to read and I do like to sleep. It got me to thinking about how many hours all of us waste on visual entertainment or things that we love and how we place God in a section of those things. You know what I'm talking about. We fit God into our day but we don't make Him our day. He comes when everything else we wish to do is completed. That's where we all fall short. My son has a need to unwind and being at home by a computer is how he does it. It keeps him from drinking and drugs so if you were to look at it, there's nothing wrong with it, right? Wrong. Any obsession is wrong and we can all look at our lives and see where we put God on the sideline and our hobbies at the forefront. I feel convicted don't you. See we all have a little bit of what my child is going through. It's called self-discipline and control.
So when I look at Christ being my anchor and the time I allot to Him; I have to wonder is it enough for Him to truly be that in my life. Being my anchor means I must seek Him, spend time with Him, acknowledge Him and read about Him, right? That's where most of us fall short. We fit Him into our day, maybe in the morning, maybe at night or maybe not at all. It's important for us to look at where we spend time and be truthful with how we spend our time. My son won't realize the impact of what I'm about to do for another week. But the impact that this will make will be significant, it will help him work harder on his goals and less on his entertainment. For me, it has given me a perspective on how I choose to manage the hours when I'm awake and convict me to think more about how I spend my time. Inevitably, I need to spend more time with Christ and less on the things that take me away from Him. That doesn't mean we can't still do things we enjoy; it just means we must focus on what's most important and that's Christ.
It's time we all set boundaries and put our thoughts on Jesus. Recently, I read an article of a woman that wrote a letter to the Pope while in prison. She is in Pakistan and is on death row for heresy. All she did was drink from a well, oh, and be a Christian. Her thoughts are on Jesus. There are 20 others there waiting to die for what they believe. Her words have penetrated my heart and made me think more about Jesus. We need to all take the time and think about where we spend our time, how we focus it and what matters to us most. That's the only way we will ever find Jesus.
Exodus 34:14 NIV
Do not worship any other god, for The Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.
My prayer today:
O, Lord be with us today as we focus on You. Help us manage our time better and to put you first. Conquer our sin by convicting us. Help us all watch over Your flock with care and wisdom. Be with us today and every day as we battle our hearts.
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