
A great many of us spend the majority of our lives pursuing money. It’s not that we necessarily are ruled by it (though many are), but it is accepted as one of the basic needs of life. We need money to purchase the things we need to survive. Life is so much more than money and the endless pursuit of it can easily cause you to trust it, rather than God, to provide for your needs. There is a higher currency with which we should be far more obsessed. That is the currency of time. Time is far more finite, and infinitely more valuable, than money. How we spend our time reveals where our true treasure lies.
The Bible teaches that we have been allotted a certain number of days to live (Job 14:5), and we should consider carefully how we spend that time (Psalm 90:12). However, nowhere in the Bible does it mention that we have all been given a certain amount of money to spend in our days on earth. The great promise of the resurrection of Jesus is that death and time have been defeated. To those who follow Him, Jesus promises to give the gift of eternal life, not unlimited cash.
How we spend the money entrusted to us is undoubtedly important. But how we spend our time is far more significant because money can be replaced; time cannot. If we think about giving some cash to a worthy cause, but hold off, we can always donate later. In contrast, if throughout the course of our day we see someone in need but choose not to act, that moment is gone forever. We may never see that person again, and even if we do, it will be under different circumstances. Time must be seized in the moment we find it. It is the ultimate rarity, as no two moments will ever be the same, and none will ever be repeated.
As long as we are alive, we can always earn more money. But no matter how hard we try, we can never earn more time. When it’s gone, it’s really gone, never to return. This is why it is vital to be intentional about how you spend every moment of your life. How much is a minute of time worth to you? Give it any dollar amount you wish, and every time you waste a minute, picture yourself throwing that amount of money out the window. It will add up quickly.
Regardless of how young or old you may be, nothing matters more than what you do with the remaining time you have on earth. Will you spend it in a relentless pursuit of Jesus or on the hopeless quest for pleasure and comfort? Both have their rewards, but the duration is different. The reward for a life spent loving God is eternal peace, joy, and meaning. A life of pleasure is its own reward, one that ends quickly and results in forever being separated from the love of God; its ultimate end is darkness, loneliness, and pain – forever. Are you living each moment on purpose to demonstrate your love for Jesus? Are you seeking to always bring glory to Him? How are you spending your time, the most valuable currency of all?