Invested Time

 

“So teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” – Psalms 90:12

When I first read this verse months ago, I was perplexed.  Why would it say “heart” of wisdom, when wisdom is of the mind?  So I wrote it on the mirror that I pass every day, hoping to not only be able to remember the verse, but to better understand it.

Yesterday as I walked by it, after having three rare days off with the hubby just hanging out here at the house, I believe God revealed it to me. 

It’s not about what we can know with our mind, it’s about what we love.  While the mind is the home of thought and intellect, the heart is the home of love.  A heart of wisdom loves what is worth loving. 

I believe the intent of the verse was that we should savor this life while we are numbering our days, counting each as a precious gift, as each one brings us closer to death.  I believe in our numbered days we should enjoy the things that are worth loving and spend our time on those instead of the things that won’t last, like events, houses, cars, jobs, clothing, positions, etc…  Those things that are wise to love are our God, our soul, and our family and loved ones.  These things are eternal.  The rest will come and go, and any energy we’ve put into them, though necessary at the time, is ultimately wasted.

Just this year I’ve numbered my days for many reasons.  There have been the number of days till my daughter went on one school event or another, as those have to be numbered for us to plan.  There have been days numbered until vacation, days numbered while on vacation, days numbered till my son graduated Navy RTC, and now days numbered till he gets home and gets married.  There are days numbered till my daughter’s senior pictures, and days numbered till she starts her senior year. Then there will be days numbered till my grandchild arrives, and days numbered till my daughter graduates.  There will be days numbered while my son is deployed.  There will be days numbered until my hubby and I get another weekend off together, and days numbered till I go and return from a business trip.  Life gets so busy sometimes that we spend it numbering the days till the next thing happens, instead of stopping to smell the roses.  In the middle of all that is scheduled, I believe God desires that we should be gaining a heart of wisdom, loving the things that matter most, and letting go of those things consume us so that our time is spent wisely.

My clean house is good for one day – at most.  Things like that should not consume me. My filled refrigerator and planned meals for each week will last one week.  It’s temporary, and really should not consume my time.  Fashion is temporary and so are the seasons, and those things should not consume me.  And my job, though it brings me joy sometimes, should most definitely not consume me.  A Facebook newsfeed, seriously, should never consume me or anyone!  What I can do for God, the giver of time, and the time I can invest into others – those are of eternal value.

Time is God’s gift to us.  It is the most finite commodity we have, as we cannot do anything to have more of it than we have.  We should treat our investments of it as if it were measured in weights of gold, or some precious and rare stone.  Yet we waste our time on things that really won’t matter in days or even just short weeks ahead. 

I’m reminded of something Joyce Meyers once said.  She spoke about people like me who work far too much and get consumed in their jobs.  She said one day that someone else would drive by a big pile of rust, a heap of tossed out things, and look at all that my hard work had made.  It will decay, and all that will be eternal are the things I’ve done for God, and the investments I’ve made in the people I love.

Good financial investments aren’t made without talking to a financial advisor, someone who is skilled in weighing the investment to the possible gain.  Good time investments also require planning and discussion with God, who knows our futures and His will for our lives.  Pray that He will show you where to invest your time.