This Saturday marks the first day of rifle season for deer in many valley counties including Shenandoah. Many hunters have been anxiously anticipating this date for several months and it has been on my calendar since this year’s game laws were first published. In addition, the seasons for black powder and archery as well as turkey were also inscribed in my datebook.
Yes, I still use a datebook. I know I’m a dinosaur of the oldest specie, but it works for me. I recently purchased my 2022 pocket calendar and will soon be entering events and activities in it. I already have several to transfer from the back of my current one and some recur from year to year.
A while back, a friend told me of a man he knew that loved hunting so much that he scheduled 150 days of it each year. Among all the various seasons, he entered all of these dates on his calendar first and then scheduled every other event around them. He so valued hunting that he committed over forty percent of his time to it before his year ever began.
This caused me to ponder my own datebook. Birthdates and other family events are written in red so that they stand out more plainly. Conferences and vacations are also written down well in advance so that nothing gets scheduled on top of them. If dates are not reserved, they always get swallowed up by other plans as the year moves along.
Generally, our highest priorities go onto our calendars first. Schedules and datebooks can provide good insight as to what is most important to us. From there, it’s but a short step to consider what our gods are. Work, hobbies, family, and other aspects of life all compete for first place and for the lion’s share of our precious minutes.
Even though many folks no longer keep a hard copy, most of us have calendars of some type. What goes into yours first? Are they the items you would mention if someone asks you what was most important to you? For Nancy and I, we don’t even need to reserve Sundays on our calendars for we know we will spend each of them worshipping with other believers in church. But what comes next?
Some believe that as long as we give God most Sunday mornings and maybe an occasional Wednesday evening, the rest of the time is ours to spend as we please. If we have truly committed our lives to Jesus, however, all of our time belongs to Him. We dare not sing, “I Surrender All,” if we are withholding our days and hours.
But that doesn’t mean we have to spend every minute in church. Family time can and should be holy time as we share relationships with those whom God has blessed us with.
Our jobs should not be considered purely secular either. Hopefully we’re engaged in labor that glorifies God in some way and through which we can use the talents and abilities God has given us. In addition, we normally work with other people who need Jesus’ love as well as His salvation. Our time at work can be just as holy and God-centered as our time in church.
Even our recreational hours can glorify God. While hunting, I often read and meditate on God’s Word as well as pray and jot down a few poems. In obedience to Colossians 4:5, Christians can redeem all of our time and make the most of each opportunity at home, work, school, or play.
Ultimately, we usually end up spending our time on whatever is really important to us whether we admit or not. Our usage of this most important asset reveals our true values. As we schedule our time over the upcoming months, let’s ponder how those commitments reflect our values and arrange our lives to bring maximum glory to God.
Blessings, George