Don’t you just love when we “fall back?” (I’m referring to Daylight Savings, of course, not losing balance and physically falling backwards. That would be both embarrassing and painful.) Getting that extra hour of sleep is F-A-N-T-A-S-T-I-C. It’s one of those rare moments when nature says, “I see you. I got your back.” You know what I’m talking about. Who doesn’t like a little extra sleep, even if it’s just for one hour? (For all you nightshifters out there, such as my beautiful bride who’s a stellar nurse, I’m sorry that you have to work an extra hour. I feel for you. From my bed. Too far?)
I find myself procrastinating all the more on “fall back nights,” such as tonight. “All the more” because procrastination seems to be a part of my DNA. (Shoutout to my Dad: Thank you for the genes.) On “fall back nights,” my to-do list suddenly seems not as urgent. I don’t feel as pressured because I look at the clock and set the time back in my head. For some reason, that one extra hour seems like six days. (It’s really quite silly when I see it written on paper. The math clearly doesn’t add up.)
The funniest part about “fall back nights” to me, is how my ridiculous thinking ultimately results in me missing the benefits of extra sleep. My procrastination gets the best of me. I start my to-do list later, get ready for bed later and wake up later. Nothing changes! Instead of getting everything done on time and waking up later, I waste my precious, once-a-year, freebie hour on YouTube videos and reading about politics (yeah, I do that sometimes).
If I really want to reap the benefits of “fall back,” then I need to remember the reality of time; it can’t be regained. Every second, hour, and day continually moves forward. I can’t reuse an hour of Stranger Things for doing the laundry. How I spend my time has a ripple effect.
I find that a similar thinking applies to spreading the gospel. Before His ascension, the last command Jesus gave to His disciples, and in turn gave to those of us today who are also submitted to Him, was to “make disciples of all the nations” (Matthew 28:19-20). We are to tell everyone about who Jesus is, what He did and why they need Him in their lives until the day that He returns. We aren’t given a time frame on this. Jesus Himself said that only the Father knows when He will return (Matthew 24:36-41). All we know is that until Jesus returns, we are called to tell people about the good news (Matthew 24:14).
If you’re like me, you may be tempted to procrastinate in this area. Like on “fall back night,” we think, “There’s still time. I’ll tell him or her about Jesus tomorrow after…” I pray that you and I both don’t fall into this temptation. We are not guaranteed tomorrows (James 4:13-17). There is an urgency to tell others about the goodness of God shown through Jesus’ sacrifice for us (Romans 5:8).
When Jesus returns, He is returning to judge, and all will stand before God and account for the lives we lived on earth (1 Peter 4:1-6). We have the opportunity to help others prepare for this judgement and the only justification that we have is Jesus (Acts 4:12).
So let’s tell others; today. Let’s not allow time to get the best of us. Before we know it, Jesus will have returned and I don’t want you or I to regret not telling “that one person” about Him. Start today and reap the benefits of spending an eternity with your teammates, neighbors, and coworkers. Not for our namesake or benefit, but solely for the glory of God alone (Romans 16:25-27).
Temitope 