Mike Focht 8/30/2024
And he ordained twelve that they should be with him…
Mark 3:14
We must give God time. An essential part, if not the most fundamental part, of Jesus’ call to the early disciples was time. They were called to be with him. The apostles spent virtually all of their time with Jesus. For more than three years, He poured into them minute by minute, hour by hour, and day by day. After their call to be with Him, they received a message to preach, authority to work, and a new Spirit to live in.
Not much has changed for the Christ-follower in our day and age. Time is still essential. There are no shortcuts to authentic Christian life and character. There are no shortcuts to communion with Christ. Nothing in all the earth can substitute for actually being with him.
Now, the typical response in this busy, hectic, anxious, impatient world in which we live is simply this: But I don’t have any time! If that is true, we must surrender everything like those early disciples and make time. We all want Jesus to make time for our souls when we die, but somehow, we can justify not finding time to live with Him on earth.
These excuses will never do for the sincere Christ-follower. Those who know and love Christ cannot exist so far from Him. People can have all the excuses they want, but none matter in the end. If we have to change our lives, simplify, alter our pursuits, surrender our dreams, change our thought patterns, discipline our lives, embrace discomfort, and make time to be with Him, then we must. If He is not our priority, if He is not our focus, if He does not have our time, then we cannot truly call ourselves disciples.
That said, there are so many today trying desperately to come up with a spiritual shortcut that will do in them, their spouses, and their children what only real, quality interchange between the personal soul and God can do. There are no magical verses. There are no magical religious actions. There are no magical buildings you can worship in that will speed up the work.
Christ calls on all His followers to be with Him; day by day and year by year. The way to commune with Christ has not changed for thousands of years. It is still the simple things common to any Christian—no matter what day, age, culture, or denomination they come from. Every mature Christian, or godly servant of Jesus that you can think of, also spent a good deal of quality time in prayer, the Word, worship, and service.
If Jesus needed three years of living daily with His disciples, even though they could see Him in the flesh, does it not prove that He also needs a good deal of time with us? Some of the things He is teaching us can only be learned in time, just as higher levels of math or science can only be learned through time spent studying. Some of the things He would reveal about His character will only be learned through time. Most of what needs to change in our lives does not happen at our conversion but as we grow in grace and the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Despite what many a modern-day preacher may emphasize, God is not in a rush to work in us or through us. He is quite patient with His work. God knows that His work in us is the first step to His work through us, and the Holy Spirit will make sure the foundation is sure before He builds anything that will stand the test of eternity.
This deliberate process is evident throughout the Scripture. God took His time working in Noah, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, David, and Elijah. He took at least three years with His disciples and nearly the same time with Paul in Arabia. He will take His time with present-day saints as well. Nothing we can do will ever hurry God along. Our impatience or petulance does not move God. God’s work will be done at God’s speed.
We need to be more patient with God. We need to be more patient with ourselves. All of us need to be spending more time with Him. If we make time for everything in life but Him, we do nothing more than prove ourselves to be selfish idolaters. Who or what could possibly be more worthy of our time? Our time is short and precious, and offering it is a costly act of worship.
If God’s work must be done on His timetable, am I willing to participate? Will I give God my time? Will I be a Christ-follower? I am not simply talking about days here, but the quality of life and communion. As A.W. Tozer said so sadly yet succinctly in his book The Pursuit of God, “God waits to be wanted, but He often waits in vain.”
May we ever be found with Him.