And He said to them, "It is written,'My house shall be called a house of prayer,’…”
Matthew 21:13 NKJV

Friday, January 28, 2011

Balancing Your Books


Tony Hauck
Church on the Rock - Melbourne

I pulled financial reports today for our monthly meeting. In just a few minutes I have a report that explains what we’ve done with every dollar we’ve been given, and how that compares to our budget. We create a budget each year so that we spend intentionally. Our income can vary, so if we spent according to the wants and needs of the moment, we may not have enough later to pay all our bills. Budgets help you determine when to say “yes” or “no”. We plan ahead because we are accountable.

God has given each of us a fixed, known asset, and we will have to account for how we’ve spent it. Its called time; 168 hours a week. Wouldn’t it be interesting to have a year end spending report on our time? Of course you have to trade part of your time for income, and spend some on family and friends. And you have to spend a fair bit taking care of yourself, like eating and sleeping. You may be surprised to learn that the average person still has over forty hours left in their week to do whatever they want. Most of us don’t budget that time, often allowing the desire of the moment to crowd out more important things. If we don’t spend our time intentionally, often others will determine how its spent.

I find that considering the millennium motivates me. If our goal is just to be a good Christian and get to heaven, we’ve missed a lot of the Bible. This life is just an internship. Our true function kicks in when Jesus returns. We’ll be partnering with Him in judging and ruling and restoring. There will be positions of authority. But here is the catch; the position you hold then is determined by what you did with this life.

Consider Ephesians 5:14-16. Every hour we’re given is gone the moment we spend it, unless its invested in eternity. Then it accrues interest forever.

2 comments:

  1. Good word Pastor Tony, imagine if we tithed our time?! 16.8 hours a week! Makes you rethink groaning about a 2 hour service. Just saying..

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  2. Awesome word, thank you, totally needed.

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