It was the most productive hour of the whole week. Maybe the whole month. I happened to look at the clock at about 10 in the morning. I got busy answering emails, returning phone calls, doing some writing, and even outlined part of a sermon. When I next looked at the clock, it was only 10:15. I was amazed and thrilled at how much I had accomplished in such a short time. Then I looked at my watch. It said 12:15. The clock on the wall had stopped. Then I decided I really had not accomplished near as much as I should have. I did the same amount of work; it was just my perception of time that changed my outlook.

My grandfather only knew three times on the farm. Sun-up: time to go to work. Sun straight overhead: time to eat. Sun-down: time to quit working. He really didn’t even need a watch. But someone who gets paid an hourly wage has a much different perspective. We worry about too much time on our hands.

We even speak of life in terms of time. We refer to people who live a long time. Or we wonder how much time we have left. We plan how long we must work before we can retire. We want more hours in the day and years in our life.

We mark time, measure time, and calculate time. But we cannot make time. Nor can we determine how much time we have. So maybe it really is about what we do with time, and not about how we try to quantify time.

How much time we have is not nearly as important as what we do with the time we have.
How much time do I have left in this life? I don’t know. How long can I be productive and active? I don’t know. What do I know about time then? I know that I want the time I do have to be filled with the things that will matter when time is no more. I have found that purpose in Jesus. I can help you make the most of your time. Write me at steve@hopeforlife.org or join the blog discussion at www.hopeforlife.org.