It’s September already. I’ve said it, and I think everyone I’ve talked to recently has said the same, the summer has gone by so fast. The fall season is upon us, and it often means change for many people. Whether it’s kids starting school, summer leagues and programs ending, fall sports starting, or garden harvests coming to an end, our schedules and activities tend to change in the fall.
It’s easy to end up overcommitted and with added stress if we aren’t careful in scheduling. This is a big challenge for us in America. We have so many good things we can choose from that it can be hard to decide what to say yes to and what to say no to. I remember reading a book called Margin, by Dr. Richard Swenson several years ago. In his medical practice he saw firsthand the toll stress was taking on the health of his patients because of overscheduled lives. His advice, leave margin in your calendar. I wish I was better at this.
The difficulty is not only choosing the best but also being okay with leaving the rest. Jesus said this to Martha who was “distracted with all her preparations” one day. He told her, “but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:42, NASB95). The good part was Jesus being in the home. Mary had made the best choice in sitting at His feet listening to Him. How often do we give Jesus a second seat to things in life that are only distractions from the most important?
The Parable of the Sower and the Seed makes the same point. The seed represents the Word of God, and the soil represents the human heart. Luke 8:14 says, “The seed which fell among the thorns, these are the ones who have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked with worries and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to maturity.
The apostle Paul in the section of Ephesians 5 about how to live wrote, “Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, 16 making the most of your time, because the days are evil. 17 So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.” (Ephesians 5:15–17). Being wise in how we spend our time, and being careful not to schedule Jesus or His Word out of our lives takes intentionality. I think it begins with and flows from a good personal relationship with Christ Jesus.
The most important decision in life is to enter that relationship by receiving the gift of eternal life through the forgiveness of sins. The apostle Paul reminds his readers that they were spiritually dead apart from Christ but made alive through faith in Christ’s substitutionary death for sin. He wrote, “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9). We don’t have to add spiritual works to our lives, however busy they might be, to earn forgiveness. Forgiveness is God’s gift. Do you have it? Take some time to think about its value, and maybe some other things will become less important to fit into your calendar!
— Reflections appears regularly on the religion page. The column features a variety of local writers, coordinated through the Monroe Area Clergy Group. Dan Krahenbuhl is pastor of Monroe Bible Church.
