DOES GOD DEMAND TOO MUCH OF YOUR TIME?
Bill Pratt
(via Hamilton Herald)

     Some time ago when discussing the importance of the church with a disinterested church member I urged him to become more involved in the activities of the church and to attend church on a regular basis.  He quickly replied that going to church occasionally was a good thing, but that going to church three times a week and practicing a daily religion was really asking a little too much.  With all the things he had to do he felt that the Lord was asking for far too much of his time.
 
     Are the Lord’s demands of daily discipleship (Luke 9:23), holy living (Rom.12:1-2), and faithful church attendance (Heb.10:25) asking too much of the Christian’s time?  Perhaps if we could see how the average person spends his or her time while here on earth, we might be able to see God’s demands of us in a better perspective.  It is said that if God granted someone a life of seventy years the average person would spend that life like this:

Six years getting an education
Eight years in recreation and relaxation
Six years eating
Five years riding in a car
Four years talking
Fourteen years working
Three years reading
Twenty-four years sleeping

     In that life of seventy years, how much time would the average person give to God?  If you went to church every week and prayed for five minutes every morning and evening you would have given a grand total of five months to God.  Five months out of seventy years!  The next time you are tempted to miss any Christian activity because you don’t have time, stop and consider the many years spent in pursuing other things and you will see that God’s demands on our time are not burdensome at all.  In fact no other pursuit offers such rewards for faithful time spent.  I look forward to seeing you in worship this Sunday.