“Extra Time & Money”

“Hey Chuck how’s it goin…. how you feeling …. how’s your health? Oh, pretty good Dave, I’m feeling pretty good…. I’m in pretty good shape”. 

Well Chuck may be correct and giving you the straight scoop or maybe not. He’ll have a more accurate report after he gets his annual physical from the doctor: “Chuck, your blood pressure is high and I don’t like that cholesterol reading; you need to drop 20 pounds, and I let’s get that mole on your face looked at.”  I’m happy that my friend Chuck got that physical so he can really find out how’s he’s doing and take appropriate action. 

Lent is a good time to find out how we’re doing spiritually. Like Chuck, I can think I’m doing pretty well, but it’s good to get an “annual spiritual”. Let’s allow the divine physician to check us out, to do a bit of probing, to ask us a few questions. “Dave, let me ask you …. where do you spend your extra time? Dave, what do you do with your extra money?” Where do your thoughts go when you have time to just think, with no urgent job in front of you? Dave, when you have extra cash with no particular bill in front of you…. where do you tend to spend that money? Well doctor, those are very good questions, let me think it over……. hmmmmm.”

Doing God’s will should be our top priority…. loving God and neighbor. What we do with our extra time and money can be a good indicator of how we’re doing with this priority….. where our heart lies, what’s important to us.

Lent is a good time to see if my actions actually support what I say I believe. Do my actions support the words of my mouth. Lent can be a time to drill down and see where my actions don’t support my words….where I may even be deluding myself. 

I have to admit that at times my “extra time and money” are not placed at the Lord’s disposal, but at the foot of my own personal desires. These actions may not be sinful, but they also may not be worthy of praise; I can probably use that time and money in a better way. 

So, Holy Spirit help us to use all the gifts you’ve given us for the sake of your kingdom. May we make real strides during this Lenten season to place all that we have, including extra time and money, at your disposal. And that would be very good news.