The Idol of Relevance

C.J. Mahaney @ http://www.sovereigngraceministries.com reviews Prophetic Untimeliness: A Challenge to the Idol of Relevance (Baker, 2003). by Os Guinness,

He notes that

The book is a piercing critique of the church’s uncritical pursuit of relevance for the sake of relevance. His argument: “Never have Christians pursued relevance more strenuously; never have Christians been more irrelevant” (p. 12).

Guinness explains it like this:

By our uncritical pursuit of relevance we have actually courted irrelevance; by our breathless chase after relevance without a matching commitment to faithfulness, we have become not only unfaithful but irrelevant; by our determined efforts to redefine ourselves in ways that are more compelling to the modern world than are faithful to Christ, we have lost not only our identity but our authority and our relevance. Our crying need is to be faithful as well as relevant. (p. 11)

He covers:
Escaping the Cultural Captivity

Without God, our human knowledge is puny and perverse, limited on the one hand by finitude and distorted on the other by sin. That said, and that said humbly, three things can help us cultivate the independent spirit and thinking that are characteristic of God’s untimely people. In ascending order, they are developing an awareness of the unfashionable, cultivating an appreciation for the historical, and paying constant attention to the eternal. Each is crucial for effective resistance thinking. (p. 96)

Guinness then develops each of these points:

1. Awareness of the Unfashionable
2. Appreciation for the Historical:

Mere lip service to the importance of history will not do. We each have to build in a steady diet of the riches of the past into our reading and thinking. Only the wisdom of the past can free us from the bondage of our fixation with the present and the future. C. S. Lewis counseled, “It is a good rule, after reading a new book, never to allow yourself another new one till you have read an old one in between.” (p. 104)

3. Attention to the Eternal:

How then do we lift ourselves above the level of the finite and the mundane to gain an eternal perspective on what is true and relevant? The biblical answer is blunt in its candor. By ourselves we can’t. We can’t break out of Plato’s cave of the human, with all its smoke and flickering shadows on the wall. We can’t raise ourselves above the level of the timebound and the earthbound by such feeble bootstraps as reason. But where we are limited by our own unaided efforts, we have help. We have been rescued.…God has broken into our silence. He has spoken and has come down himself. And in his written and living Word we are given truth from outside our situation, truth that throws light on our little lives and our little world. (p. 107)

Time Is of the Essence!

by Les Heinze @ http://www.sharperiron.org

Recently, I said to our pastoral staff that this summer has seemed so incredibly busy with weddings, funerals, retreats, meetings, trips, counseling and follow-up that I have only ridden my Harley one time! The summer is supposed to be a little slower-paced. What am I doing wrong? Why don’t I have more “free time?” Which brought to my mind an article I had come across earlier titled, “If You Are 35, You Only Have 500 Days To Live.” (The article really bothered me because I am well over 35!) The article contends that when you subtract the time you spend sleeping, working, grooming, eating, traveling, and participating in other time-stealers, you have only 500 days to spend as you wish if you live another 36 years! That is a scary and probably discouraging thought, isn’t it?

This illustration underscores a truth. If you are going to be effective with your life, you must learn to manage your time. Time management is really self-management. Ecclesiastes 8:6 says, “There is a time and procedure for everything, which produces great stress upon a man.” The problem is not the clock or calendar but our use of what we have. To get angry at the clock is like getting angry at the bathroom scales; both are simply a means of measurement. All of us, who are conscientious and responsible, have asked, “How do I balance all that I have to do at work, at home, and in my Christian walk?” I have developed a new understanding and appreciation for Ephesians 5:15-17, which speaks to us about the essence of our time. I believe this passage becomes even more relevant as we see the candles multiply on our birthday cakes and as we think about all we would like to do. I am challenged by this passage to develop three consistent habits.

I Must Analyze My Stewardship of Time (Eph. 5:15)

There are many ways to paraphrase this verse. One is, “I must be careful of how I live.” Which includes paying close attention to my schedule. I must give some serious consideration to what I do with my time. We must not be foolish but wise. This verse is telling us to analyze the use of our time. Have you ever wondered, Where did all my time go? We don’t all have the same amount of talent, money, or opportunities; but at least on the short-term, we all have the same amount of time. That being true, why do some people get more accomplished with theirs?

In order to save or redeem time, you should first know where you are spending it. Keep a time log. Record how you spend your minutes and hours. This exercise will not only enlighten but also motivate you! A log will show you where you are “leaking” valuable time, like a hole in your gas tank. Tracking is why Weight Watchers works so well; it is the same thing a budget does with your money. God says if you are not careful with your time, you will end up wasting it, just like the lost people around you! The old ditty is true:

Just a tiny little minute, only sixty seconds in it.
Forced upon me, can’t refuse it.
Didn’t seek it didn’t choose it.
I will suffer if I lose it; give account if I abuse it.
Just a tiny little minute, but eternity is in it.

The second principle in this passage builds upon the first.

I Must Utilize My Discretionary Time (Eph. 5:16)

We must make the most of every opportunity. Paul challenges us to be alert to all possibilities that come our way. The Latin phrase carpe diem or “seize the day” accurately captures this verse. The word “redeem” means “to buy up, to purchase”; or maybe we would say, “Invest wisely.” The word “time” in our English Bible is not “chronos,” measurable in hours or minutes, but the Greek word “kairos,” which is better translated “opportunities” or “possibilities.” So the Bible is telling us to be “opportunity managers.”

In the ancient world, at many ports a ship would have to wait for high tide before it could come into safe harbor. The Latin term for this situation was ob portu; a ship was “towards the port,” waiting for the right moment. Believers must do in the spiritual realm what the captain and crew had to accomplish in the nautical world—be ready and then seize the opportunity!

There are two ways to utilize this present time: First, stop procrastinating—do it now. What if someone deposited $86,400 in your bank account every morning with the understanding that any money left over at the end of the day would be lost? Would you try to spend the money or let it go to waste? I think we would get very good at knowing how to spend that money each day! Every day, God give each of us 86,400 seconds. That means you need to work on that advanced degree. You need to take lessons on that musical instrument. You need to start that ministry you have talked about for years. You need to read through the Bible this year. Stop telling yourself you will do it later!

Second, start eliminating—quit the unnecessary. Get rid of the time-wasters in your life. First Corinthians 10:23 says, “All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient [constructive].” Many things in life are not necessarily wrong; they just aren’t necessary. Unquestionably, the biggest time-waster in our society is TV. We all need occasional diversions, but how we use our discretionary time defines who we are and what we become! Here are some practical suggestions to help you get the most out of your time: Standardize your weekly schedule. For me as a pastor, I have the goal of dividing my time into three equal categories as preacher, shepherd, and manager. Use a calendar and filing system to organize yourself and the information you take in. Set long-term goals and relate your work to it. Delegate responsibilities and tasks to others. Learn to say no to trivial matters. Always carry a book, a CD, or scripture verse cards with you wherever you go.

I Must Prioritize My Spiritual Time (Eph. 5:17)

The final related thought the Holy Spirit leaves for us is this: “Do not live aimlessly but discover what God wants you to do.” We cannot talk about time management without talking about knowing what God wants us to do. The key to a productive life is being in the will of God. The biggest time-waster in the world is being out of God’s will because you are wasting your life. You have just enough time to do God’s will. He would not have a plan for your life and then not give you enough time to do it. If you don’t believe you have enough time to do God’s will, it could mean one of the following:

• You are doing something God never intended you to do.
• You are not doing something God intends you to do.
• You are doing the right thing but in the wrong way.

We know the will of God only as we know His Word: First Timothy 2:3,4 says, “For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior; who will have all men to be saved, and come to a knowledge of the truth.” First Thessalonians 4:3 says, “This is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication.” Romans 12:1,2 says, “I beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of God that ye present your bodies. . . . what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”

Satan’s most effective lie is not “there is no heaven or hell” but “there is no hurry.” If you do not prioritize and make God’s Word and God’s work a vital part of your schedule, you will never do His will. Lesser things will always become the enemy of the best thing. After you have been in eternity for 10,000 years, what difference will a lot of the things you are clamoring after mean then? But you will be glad you prayed and witnessed to the lost. You will be thrilled that you discipled that new convert or taught God’s Word to a Sunday school class. You will be amazed at how God rewarded the dollars you gave to His work. You will be eternally grateful that you discovered and did the will of God with your life!

Sadly, for many Christians worship and service are not high priorities but matters of convenience. If they feel tired, if they have family or friends in town, if their favorite team is playing, or if the weather is bad, ministry takes a backseat. I have no desire to force this passage to say something it does not, but I believe it could accurately be summarized this way: Be wise in an evil society, seize every spiritual opportunity, live out God’s will passionately!

^{Les Heinze has served as senior pastor of Red Rocks Baptist Church (formerly known as South Sheridan Baptist Church) in Lakewood, Colorado, since 1990. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Bible and a master’s degree in Pastoral Studies from Bob Jones University (Greenville, SC). He also received the Doctor of Sacred Ministries degree from Northland Baptist Bible College (Dunbar, WI). God has blessed him and his wife, Starry, with three children.}

What do you have time for?

What you make room for in your schedule reflects your true values

From Slow Leadership@ http://www.slowleadership.org

"I Don't Have Time"

What this statement actually means is either “I didn’t want to,“ or “I didn’t know how to,“ or “I spent the time doing something else more important to me.“

Lack of time is an attractive excuse, because it implies that you’re blameless—a helpless victim of stress, overwork, and external circumstances. Of course, you may object that you truly do have far too much to do and something had to be left out. But who decided what you did in the time available? Either you set those priorities yourself, or you’re the helpless slave of some all-consuming power that decides how you spend every moment of your time.

I’m much less interested in what people don’t have time for than what they do.

Lack of time is an attractive excuse, because it implies that you’re blameless.

When someone says they don’t have time for family, or friends, or hobbies, or recreation, because they have so much work, what I hear is someone telling me that work is the most important aspect of their life. It comes first. Let’s be honest, it must do, or they wouldn’t accept living the way they do. If they choose to be at their desk by 5:00 a.m. and stay until 9:00 p.m., they are making success at work the only true goal of their life.

Just about everyone goes to great lengths to make time for whatever they believe is most important. We all have the same amount of time available to us, so how we use it nearly always shows what we value most. Of course we face decisions about what to do first. Of course we have to choose between competing claims on our time. Of course we probably have more demands on us than we have time to meet them. Nevertheless, we can nearly always manage to find time for what we cannot imagine doing without.

I imagine cavemen were little different. They had to choose whether to hunt, or make pots, or paint pictures on the cave walls, or help with the children and tidy up the cave. And I expect some of them grumbled that they fully intended to make a new carrying board for the baby, but the hunting took so long, and the clan chief was such a bastard about demanding help to make a new headdress, and the dog needed more training before the next hunt. and so on and so on.

When you find yourself saying that you didn’t have time for something, take a moment to remember what you did find time for. Whatever you say to the contrary, that’s where your priorities lie at present.

When you find yourself saying that you didn’t have time for something, take a moment to remember what you did find time for.

So if you’re continually telling people that you’d like to relax more, achieve a better work/life balance, improve your education, plan to set up your own business, spend more time with your family, or generally sort out your life, but you don’t have time, you’re not telling the truth. Those things are lower down your list of priorities than whatever it is that you’re spending all that time on. So be honest with yourself. Admit who’s choosing to spend his or her time that way. And if you still want to do what you claim you want, push something else out of the way and make the time.

If you don’t have time for building the life that you say you want to live, what do you have time for?