I’m thankful that the church I grew up in emphasized Scripture memory. For during my grammar school years, I was forced (that’s how it felt) to memorize scores of key passages on various topics, many of which I still remember today.
One favorite topic for Scripture memory was using time wisely. Passages like: “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time…” (Ephesians 5:15-16) and “So, teach us to number our days, that we may get a heart of wisdom” (Psalm 90:12) were go-to texts for training us youngsters to not be wasteful of God’s precious gift of time.
Though I can’t say anyone ever said it this way, the fact is I took these verses to be saying that true wisdom requires that I use my time to do as many good things as I can as excellently as I can for the glory of God. There’s a lot to commend in this takeaway. For starters, working hard, doing things excellently, and keeping the glory of God front and center are all key biblical emphases.
But there was something missing—something that didn’t quite register until I was in my Synoptic Gospels class in seminary. We had just finished identifying key aspects in Mark’s writing style: a quick paced narrative focused on the action-packed nature of Jesus ministry. I remember thinking that Jesus’ life must have been a whirling dervish of ministry activity. He was always casting out demons, performing miracles, and preaching the gospel.
To be honest, I liked the sound of that. In fact, the frenetic, fast-paced nature of Mark’s gospel fit the lifestyle commitments I imbibed as a kid. Now, as a wannabe pastor, I wanted more than ever for my life to count. In the words of the great Baptist missionary William Carey, I was ready “To expect great things from God. And attempt great things for God.”
At this point, the professor drew the class’s attention to Mark 1:35-39, “And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. And Simon and those who were with him searched for him, and they found him and said to him, ‘Everyone is looking for you.’ And he said to them, ‘Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.’ And he went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons.”
“In the midst of all the ministry activity, what do you notice?” the professor asked. I thought to myself, “Ah, yes. We need to spend time in prayer before we go do ministry.” (That’s true, of course, but according to the professor, that’s not the focus of the text.) “Notice,” he said, “Jesus schedule was always full to overflowing, but he only did the things he was called to do. In all his many doings, Jesus stayed faithful to his life’s mission. Always.”
And just like that it hit me. Meeting everybody’s needs was not mission-critical for Jesus. Even when the disciples pressed the shame-inducing statement, “Everyone is looking for you,” Jesus was unfazed. He remained focused; his eyes on the mission. “Let’s go onto the next towns,” he said. Jesus knew the reason he was on the earth, and he wasn’t letting anyone or anything stand in the way.
That day in class changed my life, for it was the first time I realized that I didn’t have to let the clamor of unmet needs and ministry opportunities dictate my day to day. In a word, I learned that God’s purpose for my life should set the priorities of my life. Though it’s taken years, and I’ve still got a ways to go, I am learning how to say “No” to many good and important things in order to say, “Yes” to what I know God is calling me to do. I am learning that to know one’s purpose and to let that purpose shape the priorities of life is a big part of what having a heart of wisdom is all about.