There have been a number of news stories recently about the
over-treating of certain medical issues, i.e, too many unnecessary tests, too much
medication, etc. Certain doctors are concerned over-treatment could be
be doing more harm than good.
The double meaning of the phrase “over-treating”
didn’t escape me. Is there such a thing as “over-treating” oneself? Clearly, and painfully, the answer is ‘yes.’ And doing more harm than good! Rooted
in Satan’s temptation of Adam and Eve, each of us is inclined to grab a fruit from the wrong tree. This syndrome
manifests itself in many ways, but the general temptation comes when we say, “life is unfair
and I don’t deserve this.”
In light of this psychological phenomenon, it
behooves each of us to examine ourselves for a self-revelation: how do we over-treat
ourselves when life deprives us of something we think we deserve?
What TIME is it? Seems like a simple enough question, but its answer depends on what “time zone” you live in. Or on how you define TIME: the hour of the day, or the season of life, or the age we live in?
The Bible exhorts you to “make the most of your time” (Eph. 5:16), not to be confused with having the “time of your life.” It means to be mindful that "time is short" and there will be a "time of reckoning."
Did you know there is such a thing as an official “Doomsday Clock?” It was created by a group of scientists in 1947 to warn of the perils of a nuclear arms race. The potential for a nuclear war determines the time on the Doomsday Clock. As of January 2012, the Doomsday clock is set at 11:55 p.m.
It occurs to me the scientists have hit on a spiritual law. All men are living on “borrowed time.” “Time waits for no man.” “Time marches on.” When we’re young, we think we have “time on our side,” but when we get older we realize that “time flies,” and we can no longer “take our sweet time,” knowing it will soon be “time to call it a day.” "At one time," Jesus rebuked those who were not able to “discern the times.” (Matt. 16:3). Would you agee that "it's high time" we all learned how to "tell time."
Martin Lloyd-Jones once said: "Have you realized that most of your unhappiness in life is due to the fact that you are listening to yourself instead of talking to yourself?”
Each of us has negative thoughts—troubling and sometimes disturbing. If we pay attention to these negative thoughts, we energize them. You might say we feed them. So instead of listening to them, we should start talking to them.
For example, think how different things might have been if Eve had not listened to the serpent who twice planted doubts about what God had really said. If Eve had only talked back to Satan, perhaps she would have gained control of her thoughts! But her negative thinking actually allowed Satan to deceive her. Here’s the pattern: first Satan dictated her thoughts; then he deceived her mind. Don't let negative thinking dictate you. Turn the tables—make them take dictation! Talk to them assertively from the Word of truth until you have taken all thoughts captive to the obedience of Christ (2 Cor. 10:5).
I am so busy all the time—usually thinking about how little of it I have, or how fast it is going—I forget I am eternal. How much ‘time’ do you spend thinking about ‘eternity?’
When we get tired of waiting, we may say it feels like an eternity. In other words, we think of eternity as an extremely long time. But eternity actually isn't a long time at all. It has nothing to do with time. And it is more of a sphere than place. And most significantly, it is where God lives. “For thus says the High and Lofty One Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy” (Isaiah 57:15).
Jesus told us “In my Father’s house are many mansions” (John 14:2). The word “mansions” is an unfortunate translation, found only in the King James Version. It literally means abode (dwelling). The word appears only one other place in the Bible. Later in John's gospel, Jesus tells his disciples, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word; and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our abode with him” (14:23).
God is eternal, lives in eternity, and (amazingly) dwells in our hearts. Now can you understand Solomon's words: God has “put eternity in your hearts.” (Ecc. 3:11). That should be reassuring to us who are concerned about running out of time. More importantly, thinking "eternal" will certainly put a proper perspective on what happens "in time."
Some are saying it’s only a matter of time before the economy improves. Others are saying it is only a matter of time before the government goes bankrupt. Some are saying it’s only a matter of time before Iran has the nuclear capability to blow up Israel. Israel is saying it’s only a matter of time before it blows up Iran’s nuclear facilities. Some are saying it’s only a matter of time before we can safely leave Afghanistan in the hands of their own security forces. The Taliban are saying it’s only a matter of time before we get tired and go home and they retake the country.
In this world, time is all anyone has—they live in it, worry about it, are limited by it. No one can change the past or control the future. It is indeed a worrisome condition—this thing called time. But the one who is "born from above" lives outside of time (John 3:3).
Jesus left eternity and came to live in time. But He was never controlled by it. He said it was not only pointless, but sinful, to worry about time—past, present or future. “Are there not twelve hours in a day?” (John 11:9) “Each day has enough trouble of its own” (Mat. 6:34) means there is a daily quota of trouble. And His assurance is that our Father will never allow us to exceed our quota. But if we carry yesterday or tomorrow with us into TODAY we will certainly exceed it. We would be wise to follow Jesus’ pattern of living each day as a unit in and of itself, living in the ever-present, eternal reality of TODAY (Hebrews 3:7). To us, it is not a matter of time, but a matter of eternity.
There’s nothing of eternity in Joel Osteen’s latest book: “It’s Your Time.” In his most recent work, Joel promises that when you are going through difficulties, it is only a matter of waiting until “it’s your time” for your dreams to come true. The assumption is that your dreams are what God wants for you: the possibility of self-interest is not addressed.
Almost five centuries ago, the teaching of self-fulfillment caused Martin Luther to coin the phrase "theology of glory”—referring to teaching that says we can receive God’s blessing without regard to Scriptures that enjoin us to a life of suffering—this, of course, contrasted with what Luther called the "theology of the cross,” acknowledging our need to forsake all worldly things to follow Christ.
But in Joel Osteen’s most recent work, not unlike his earlier best sellers, there is no talk of the “cross” and barely any of “Jesus.” The only references to Jesus are historical—always and only presented as an example of what we can achieve if we only believe. The inherent danger is this. People will think following their dreams is the same as following Christ, when in fact, Jesus calls His disciples to give up their dreams to follow Him (the Rich Young Ruler comes to mind).
Totally missing in Joel’s latest release is the call to build treasures in Heaven and the greater blessing if we are like those who died without ever receiving the promise, men and women of whom the world was not worthy (Heb 11:38-39). They had a higher calling than fulfilling earthly dreams; they lived only to fulfill God’s purposes. In a society of consumers and self-actualizers, “It’s Your Time” will be another best seller. After all, Joel's Jesus demands nothing while promising to make your dreams come true.
