The Sacrifice of Time

This is a guest post from my sister, Kelsey. Kelsey has her Master’s Degree in Social Work and mentors new social workers while managing cases. She recently decided to go back to school to learn ASL so she can better assist her clients. In her free time, Kelsey likes to read, write, exercise outdoors, and study the Bible.

***

When I think of a sacrifice, I picture Moses sacrificing animals to God. I certainly do not think of time. Perhaps the sacrifice of time is one of the greatest sacrifices a human will ever be asked to make. 

Our Time Belongs to God

God is the “Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end” (Revelation 22:13). Job 14:5 says, “A persons days are determined; you have decreed the number of his months and have set limits he cannot exceed.” Jesus says, “Do not be afraid. I am the first and the last. I am the living one; I was dead, and now look, I am alive forever and ever! I hold the keys of death and Hades” (Revelation 1:17-18). God created time. He is the first and the last. So who does our time belong to: Us or God?

1 Corinthians 1-:26 says, “The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it.” Seeing that we are humans living on earth, bound by God’s time, our time is not our own, but belongs to God. Perhaps the resistance we feel in not being able to connect with work, the Bible, school, or anything else is because we resist the fact that out time is not our own. We would rather do fun things, like shop and read whatever we like, than do the work God calls us to do. But we must trust the sovereignty of God. He does all things for our good and for His glory. The more we resist, the harder it is going to be. Here is where sacrifice comes in.

A sacrifice is not a sacrifice if you didn’t lose something dear to you to give it. In 2 Samuel 24, David sins against God by taking a census. The Lord sends a plague in Israel, but relents after a certain amount of time. Because of God’s great judgement, but also mercy, David builds an altar. David goes to Araunah, a Jebusite, and asks for his threshing floor, tools, and livestock. Araunah tries to give all of them to King David, but David says, “No, I insist on paying you for it. I will not sacrifice to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing” (2 Samuel 24:24). When we give our time to God to accomplish His purposes, we give up comfort, ease, our own way, our own desires, and even our own happiness. There is great cost when we sacrifice our time to God. But what better way to honor God than by willingly sacrificing our time for His glory?

Questions for Reflection

Are you resisting something God is asking you to do?

In what ways do you treat time like it belongs to you, not God?

Do you agree that giving God your time is a sacrifice? Why or why not?

Is giving God your time easy for you? Why or why not?

How can you give more of your time to God? Think about specific areas in your life.