LTB TODAY.

MAXIMIZING TIME 2
practical considerations 1.

"...For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? " - Lk. 14:28.

Perhaps the most singular reason for extreme lethargy among converts to Christianity lies here, the altar call is answered without the cost of discipleship counted by the convert, the convert, then afterwards, begins to be taught the cost of discipleship. But wait a minute, that sounds fraudulent doesn't it? You get me to answer a call, and afterwards begin to tell me the consequences, the pros and cons of my decision? Isn't that like getting me to buy a product before I knew what the penalty of my decision to buy the product could be? Now, this is a matter of grave consequences! The most important decision in life, is not the decision to get into college or university, it's not the decision of the course to study, it is also not the decision of whom to marry, as important as those could be, the most important decision in life is the decision to follow the Lord Jesus Christ. And how terrible, the way we order our priorities, a student should have to go through a brochure, investigating carefully, whether or not he's got the credentials and resources to pursue a university course of study, couples on the average take a minimum 6 months, for courtship, not taking into account the periods for the so called dating; in the case of a building, even the building plan has to be drawn to specifications with every details treated as extremely important, however the one most important moment of any man's life, the one business that ought to be given the most of thoughtfulness, is encouraged to happen even without one moment of thinking. And the results? So obvious, a Christianity which is non at all!!! It is here that our attitude to maximizing time gets definition. The man who wants to build, even considers how long(time) would be required to complete the building. When I prepared for Jamb, one of the first things I sought was how many years would be required to complete my course of choice, it was extremely important. That is called counting the cost. I remember not wanting to go for any course that would require anything over 4 years, and at times I kinda wish I stuck to that plan. In maximizing the time, it's very important and quite necessary to begin one's walk with the Lord by costing, having known and understood what would be required, then our first maximum use of time would be actually, to sit down and conclude on our readiness to follow hard after the Lord. Such considerations usually births a "plan", a strategy, a foundation on which several other plans emanates from, take Hudson Taylor for instance, his decision to follow hard after the Lord was what led him to studying medicine, because he knew from early enough that in Time the Lord would require that skill for the China Inland Missions Project. This is not necessarily to say that, we ought to perhaps quit what we found ourselves in, since it wasn't part of a "following hard after the Lord's plan", no! Rather it means understanding that even those aspects of our lives now belongs to the Lord, and as such begin to strategize, plan, how to make the most of that even for the "pursuit of God" who allowed us into such venture in the first place. This is said to be "walking circumspectly in wisdom" (cf. Eph. 5:15). Seeking first the kingdom of God, is not spending one's whole times in some assembly meetings, but driving the kingdom of God right into the center of our hearts(making it the goal of every plan/strategy/pursuit) , right into the center of our activities on the clock(every second), so much that even our relaxation and rest, becomes of and for the kingdom of God. Where ALL actions and activities is for one singular goal (God's Kingdom), then what remains of us, is not, the "sacredifying" of any act, but classifying the priority at each moment. However, we must carefully each man, be on guard, lest we loose sight of the goal. The cares of this world and the decietfulness of riches, is a great snare.

To be cont'd.

LTB.