Time and Money Tell The Story

        We often claim to love the people in our lives.  Most Christians would claim that they love God.  But how can we tell?  How important is God in our lives?  One objective way to measure how much we care about someone or some thing is to look at how we spend our time and our money.

        If I claim to love my family, but I spend little or no time with them, and I seldom share my money with them, it may be difficult to prove that I really care about them.  If I claim to love God, but seldom have time for Him, and seldom commit my financial resources to His work, then what is the basis of my claim.

        In marriage counseling I often have seen couples who say that they love one another, but they have little time for one another.  The husband or wife spend lots of time with work, children, hobbies, friends and even the television set.  But the spouse is largely ignored.  There is little time spent talking or just sharing experiences together.  After a few years of this kind of isolation, it is no wonder that many marriages fail.  Spouses simply stop caring about each other, and become more like roommates.

        A husband or wife may seldom share their resources to create a good experience for their partner, but rather begin to hoard their resources for themselves.  Nothing will wreck a relationship like selfishness.  I heard one female actress describe herself as "high maintenance."  Although she was a physically beautiful person, we can imagine that it would be horrible as a spouse.  She announced that she was out to get all she could, and made it clear that love was not something she knew much about.

        Do we claim to love God?  How much exclusive time have we spent with him in worship and prayer?  How often have we gone into a quiet place to be alone and talk to the Lord?  If we seldom spend time with Him, how can we claim to love Him.  If I say I love my wife, but I never want to be at home, what is the basis of my claim?  If we never give our resources to God’s work, or share with others who are in need, in the name of Jesus Christ, how can we claim to really love Him?

        If you stood before an objective judge and were asked to prove that you love God, what would be your evidence.  The fact is that many who claim to love God, really have little interest in God.  We may want to use God when the need arises, but we have not desire to be in His presence.  In my community there is a local politician who runs for office every few years.  He has a reputation of being unfaithful to his family, but he always advertises that he is a member of a local church, and that he has been married for many years.  Incidentally, he only comes to church just before an election.  When he stands before God, what will he say?

        Saying we love God is not the same as loving God.  Saying we love our families is not the same as loving them.  If we love Jesus Christ, let’s show Him today by spending time with Him, and by doing His work.  There is joy in it.