When I was younger, my parents didn’t have much money. Their luxurious seminary apartment (which doubled as a roach hotel) was in desperate need of Ty Pennington to drop in and film an episode of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. However, the one object that seemed to turn this “house” into a “home” was a small potted plant. It brought life and color into an ordinary abode. The problem was it also made great salads. At least, to a toddler it did!
I had a nasty habit of pulling the leaves off this poor plant; a practice my father was determined to drive out of me. “Michael,” he told me, “Do not touch this plant. Do you understand me?” I drooled and nodded my head. But before I could stop myself I reached out and grabbed the leaves! My dad quickly seized the guilty appendage and slapped it, leaving me with a not-so-friendly reminder of our recent conversation. Although a smarter child may have learned his lesson at this point, the plant held my attention. Immediately I reached out with my still functioning left hand and touched it a second time. WHACK! With a newfound understanding of Adam and Eve’s temptation, I defiantly looked up at my father. With tears in my eyes and a scowl on my face, I forced myself into one final act of rebellion. It was my physical condemnation of the ruling authorities in my life! I slowly bent forward, and backed my way into the plant, only to be met with a third and final spanking. To this day, my father still chuckles about this incident, and I still cringe when I see potted shrubbery.
I have learned similar life lessons over the years and this year hasn’t been any different. The year 2008 is quickly drawing to a close and New Years is fast approaching. It is a humbling experience for me to look back over an entire year and evaluate the way I invested my life. What can I point to today that is a result of what I did yesterday? Is the world any better of a place because I lived in it during 2008? What did I devote my time to? The recent economic situation provides a stark reminder of how fragile a life based on money is. Ephesians 5:15-17 says this: “Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk—not as unwise people but as wise—making the most of the time, because the days are evil. So don’t be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.” When I was a toddler I had a room full of toys and parents who loved me, yet I wasted my time with a plant that only produced negative consequences. I have grown older, but do I act wiser? God sees the year 2009 and He knows exactly how to maximize my life. However, am I seeking His will or am I wasting my time with lesser things? I hope and pray that my life brings glory to God in 2009. That would be a life well spent.
Mike Blackaby is 25 years old and is the college and young adult pastor at First Baptist Church in Jonesboro, GA. Mike loves to play music, loves to snowboard, play hockey, and cheers for the Colorado Avalanche. He is terrified of spiders, but loves reading fantasy novels, watching movies, taking road trips, building camp fires, and will do any roller coaster if someone goes with him. You can contact him via Facebook.