Grace - Why Lose Your Life?

"When you give someone your time, you are giving them a portion of your life that you'll never get back.  Your time is your life.  That is why the greatest gift you can give someone is your time."

Rick Warren wrote those words in his 2002 book, The Purpose Driven Life.

To be honest, the above quote is the only thing I remember from the book, but I checked recently to remind myself of the five purposes he lays out for us, and here they are:

1.  We were planned for God's pleasure, so your first purpose is to offer real worship.

2.  We were formed for God's family, so your second purpose is to enjoy real fellowship.

3.  We were created to become like Christ, so your third purpose is to learn real discipleship.

4.  We were shaped for serving God, so your fourth purpose is to practice real ministry.

5.  We were made for a mission, so your fifth purpose is to live out real evangelism.

Warren's book was a huge success, but the quote above is all I remember.  Why?  Because in 2002, I had been in ministry officially for one year, and those words described perfectly my philosophy for not only mentoring, but also how life, fellowship, and family in the kingdom of God were to play out.  It was my great desire to experience real community and for others to find fulfillment in that as well, along with the other purposes Warren pointed out.

I wanted people to see how good God was and to know His love for them, and to love Him in return.

I knew the presence of fellowship and Christian community as I was growing up, so I wanted to see people joined together in a bond of love (remember the song, We Are One in the Bond of Love?), especially those who were new to Christ.

I wanted people to make wise decisions and avoid living by the world's standards, which so often leads to destruction.

I knew that if someone had the chance to help others in ministry experiences, it would inspire their faith, especially when that ministry was more than just meeting practical needs, but also witnessing God do miraculous deeds through them.  How encouraging it is to see someone immediately healed by your prayer (it does happen) or speak prophetic encouragement which someone then testifies is accurate to their current situation.

But mostly, I just wanted people to understand that to live life only for themselves is a shallow, unfulfilling life.

Warren's statement hit the target's bullseye:

your time is your life...

your life is measured by time...

your time is limited and finite...

you don't get back the time you give someone...

when you give someone your time, you're really giving them your life...

Unfortunately, not everyone lives by this same creed.  And I know why:  it's very costly.  It requires sacrifice and pain most are unwilling to endure.  It's messy.  It's not always fun.  There's very little recognition in the "here and now."  It's inconvenient to schedule your life with others in mind.

But, I can say that it's worth it.  Why?  Because as you pour out your life and time, those who receive this treasure are often changed for the rest of their lives.  Yes, some will reject you.  Yes, some won't understand and will fail to find value in what you're offering.  Yes, some won't be able to overcome their misconceptions about God--they'll fail to realize He's a Father and a good Provider, not a god who is a task-master and tiresome to know and to serve.

But some will stick around long enough for you to show them that Jesus makes a huge difference.  They'll experience that He is wiser and stronger than they.  They'll understand it's OK to be unpolished and have hangups.  Those who are changed by the revelation of God's goodness and generosity will bless you.  A few will even become life-long friends who will, in turn, point you to Jesus, because they understand that the reason for fellowship and community is that we all forget to find our life in Jesus and we occasionally need someone to remind us of that.

Judah Smith recently said something very similar to Rick Warren's statement:  "Sometimes we need to put aside projects and schedules for the sake of people.  Like Jesus, we need to be interruptible."

I would encourage you to lose your life so that you would gain the life Jesus has for you.  This life includes friendships that you could never have anticipated and blessings you could have never imagined.  I've pursued many activities and interests in my life.  I've taken a lot of higher education courses, and have a desire for more.  I've traveled quite a bit and seen more of the world than the average person.  I've enjoyed music and the arts, and grown up with a respect for our nation's history.  I've known the pride and satisfaction of seeing public school students mature and be successful.  But the greatest joy--and the greatest suffering--has come through relationships, especially those which are kingdom relationships.

It's not always easy, but it's worth it.  It doesn't always make sense at the moment, but you'll be glad you chose to give your life for another.  A moment of time to yourself may be something you guard and hide from others, but as you learn to share that time, it's value will become evident, and you wouldn't have it any other way.

Grace=Peace,

Jeremy