In this blog, we'll focus on the working being done at Sligo Presbyterian Church, Sligo, Pennsylvania. We'll also look at what's happening in Sligo, Rimersburg, Clarion, and all the other communities served by our congregation.
Tuesday, January 13, 2026
Sunday's Message - Offering Our Gift of Time
During the season of Advent, we talked about how we might unwrap some of the gifts given to us by God through Jesus Christ. Well, now that Christmas is over, we're going to shift gears and consider the gifts we might offer God. Beginning on Sunday, December 28, we started to consider the following:
Well, right now we’re at both an end and a beginning. I mean, on one hand, we’re coming to the end of the most important season of the entire year, and of course, I’m talking about football season. I mean, the playoffs have not only started, they’ve already ended for the Panthers and the Packers. Of course, my beloved Colts didn’t even make it...again. But what is that thing Pirate fans say: Maybe next year. Of course, not everything is gloomy around the Rudiger house, not when you consider how Indiana played Friday evening. Not only did that put a smile on my wife’s face, it sort of energized her whole Hoosier family back in Indianapolis. And they are wild when energized. You see, as it is with all good things, on one hand, football is approaching its end times.
On the other hand, though, we’re near the beginning of a new sermon series we started a couple of weeks ago, on the gifts we can offer God. And to this point, we’ve already talked about how we can give God our praise because of who he is and what he does, and we can do it either together or by ourselves. And then we considered how we can give him our attention, something that just makes sense because it leads to personal transformation and something we can do by simply listening to God when he speaks and by intentionally putting ourselves in places where we might hear. Now this we’ve already done.
And this morning, we’re going to move on to another gift we can offer God, namely our time. And I’ve got to tell you, that one is a pretty challenging thing to do, given the nature of time itself. Let me explain. I’ve got to tell you, one of the comments that will probably always irritate me is when someone tells me to make time. For example, I don’t have the time to watch the game because I’m writing a sermon. Well you’ve just got to make time. My schedule is a little too tight for me to take the time in order to go to the Y. Well, you’ve just got to make time. I missed doing something I really wanted to do, because I needed to use my time to do something else. Well, you’ve got to make time. Now I find that really irritating, but not because I don’t understand what the person is saying. I get it that they think I should make some changes to my work load or my schedule or my priorities so that I can have my cake and eat it too, another phrase I find kind of irritating. Why would anyone want cake they can’t eat? Isn’t that the point of cake, but I digress. In other words, I know what they’re saying, when they tell me to make time. The problem I have is with how they’re saying it. I mean, because we’re human, our time is set. It’s finite. It’s limited. I’ll tell you, it’s like the Psalmist wrote, “You made my life short, so brief that the time means nothing to you. Human life is but a breath, and it disappears like a shadow.” [Psalm 39:5-6, CEV] In other words, we’re not eternal like God; therefore, time just isn’t something to be made. It’s not something we can create no matter how hard we try. It’s not something that can be manufactured. In fact, the best we can do is to use this very limited resource as best we can. And I’ll tell you, because of that, I think it’s appropriate to view the time we give as a gift, a really expensive gift because, when you get right down to it, there’s so little of it.
And that’s what we’re going to talk about this morning, giving God the gift of time, and I’m talking about our time. And as we’ve done with praise and attention, we’ll consider two questions. First, why should we offer God this precious gift? And then second, how can we offer to him something that really can’t be made but I believe can be given? Now that’s the plan.
And as I said just a moment ago, I think it starts with us asking, why should we offer God our gift of time? Now, for me, that’s the first question. In other words, why should we take some of this very limited resource and transfer it over to God? I mean, why is this something that’s important for us to do? In fact, why do it at all? Now that’s the question, and I’ve got to tell you, based on what they wrote, I believe writers in both the Old and New Testaments knew that doing this kind of thing was important. For example, just listen to what the Psalmist said:
Teach us to use wisely all the time we have.
Help us, Lord! Don’t wait! Pity your servants. When morning comes, let your love satisfy all our needs. Then we can celebrate and be glad for what time we have left. Make us happy for as long as you caused us trouble and sorrow.
Do wonderful things for us, your servants, and show your mighty power to our children. Our Lord and our God, treat us with kindness and let all go well for us. Please let all go well! [Psalm 9:12-17, CEV]
And I’ll tell you, I believe the Apostle Paul understood the value of time as well and that’s why he wrote this to the Ephesians:
Act like people with good sense and not like fools. These are evil times, so make every minute count. Don’t be stupid. Instead, find out what the Lord wants you to do. Don’t destroy yourself by getting drunk, but let the Spirit fill your life. When you meet together, sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, as you praise the Lord with all your heart. Always use the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to thank God the Father for everything. [Ephesians 5:15-20, CEV]
You see, whether you’re looking in the Old or New Testament, time is something important to offer God.
And you know, in my opinion, the reasons are clear. I mean, from his perspective, our gift of time pleases God. For example, it certainly demonstrates our love for him. My goodness, when we choose to dedicate some quality time to God, we’re really putting into action what Christ considered the greatest commandment when “Jesus answered, ‘The most important one says: “People of Israel, you have only one Lord and God. You must love him with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.”’” [Mark 12:29-30, CEV] Just like it is with humans, love is shown by time. And with respect to God, I also think it demonstrates faith. I mean, I believe that God is pleased when we acknowledge our need for him and when we decide to take the time to share with him our trials and troubles, our fears and frustrations, our problems and pain, trusting that he not only hears but is ready, willing and able to help, exactly what I think Jesus had in mind when he told his disciples to “ask, and you will receive. Search, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened for you.” [Matthew 7:7, CEV] And I’ll tell you, giving God some of our time also demonstrates our openness, and I’m talking about our willingness to accept what he has to say even if it’s not what we want to hear, something else Jesus challenged us to do when he said, “But more than anything else, put God’s work first and do what he wants. Then the other things will be yours as well.” [Matthew 6:33, CEV] You see, offering him our gift of time really pleases God.
But I’ll tell you something else it does; it also helps us. For example, it leads to intimacy, doesn’t it? I mean, the more time we offer, the closer we’re going to feel to God, as the Psalmist said, “and you are near to everyone whose prayers are sincere.” [Psalm 145:18, CEV] And give me a break, it’s got to lead to wisdom, you know, a deeper understanding and appreciation of the world around us, just like the writer of the Proverbs said would happen when he wrote, “All wisdom comes from the Lord, and so do common sense and understanding.” [Proverbs 2:6, CEV] And you know, when we spend a little time with God, man, it’s got to lead to peace. I mean, it’s got to bring a little more confidence and harmony and contentment into our lives, something that I think the prophet Isaiah understood when he said, “The Lord gives perfect peace to those whose faith is firm.” [Isaiah 26:3, CEV] And so, along with pleasing our Lord, the time we spend with him also helps us. And for me, that’s why it just makes sense to offer God our gift of time, the answer to our first question.
But you know, for as important as the why might be, when push comes to shove, what’s even more important is the how, how can we offer God our gift of time? And that’s the second question. I mean, how can we take something that’s so limited which makes it so precious, how can we take this and give it to God? In other words, how can we approach God with the same kind of focus and dedication shown by the Psalmist when he wrote,Listen, Lord, as I pray! Pay attention when I groan. You are my King and my God. Answer my cry for help because I pray to you. Each morning you listen to my prayer, as I bring my requests to you and wait for your reply. [Psalm 5:1-3, CEV]
And how we can we actually do what Paul challenged all disciples to do when he wrote this to the Thessalonians:
Always be joyful and never stop praying. Whatever happens, keep thanking God because of Jesus Christ. This is what God wants you to do.
Don’t turn away God’s Spirit or ignore prophecies. Put everything to the test. Accept what is good and don’t have anything to do with evil. [1 Thessalonians 5:16-21, CEV]
In other words, how can we make this gift to God? That’s the question.
And I’ll tell you, although I think we can get into all kinds of specifics here, in my opinion, it really comes down to two very basic considerations on our part. I mean, it certainly involves using our time. In other words, it’s about making the best use of the time that we have. And I’ll tell you, even though I’ll always find it a little bit irritating, I think that’s what people are probably getting at when they talk about “making time.” And you know, a great example of this is what y’all are doing right now. I mean, you’re here, either in this place or streaming the service online or maybe watching it later on Facebook or YouTube. That’s what you’re doing right this minute, but I’ll tell you, you really don’t have to. There’s no one holding a gun to your head. There’s no one threatening your life or family if you don’t. Man, think about it, you could be in bed or watching television or wandering around aimlessly. But you’re not. Instead, you’re using your time to participate in this worship service, to sing the songs and to pray with me the prayers and to hear God’s word read and proclaimed. Right here and now, that’s how you’re using your time. And I’ll tell you, when we leave this place, man, we still have all kinds of options, don’t we? For example, we can engage in some interactive prayer, sharing with God all those things that are important to us with the expectation that not only are they important to God, but that we’re going to get some kind of response, if we’re willing to be patient. And we can participate in some focused study, something we can do all by ourselves but that just might be more satisfying and helpful if we’ve willing and able to do it with others. I mean, let’s get real, as individuals, we all pretty much already know what we believe, but when we hear the thoughts and opinions of others, man, that opens the door to all kinds of growth. And we can also seek out some active service, and I’m talking about something that draws us out of our own little boxes, our own little comfort zones, so that we can actually make a difference in the lives of others by working together with our brothers and sisters. And I’ll tell you, these are just three examples of using our time.
But you know, before we can actually use it, we’ve got to be ready to prioritize the time we have. I’m telling you, none of this means a hill of beans, if we don’t decide that offering God some of our time is important. Now I want you to notice, I said “some” and not “all.” You see, if we make it all or nothing, then I think one of two things is going to happen. On one hand, there’s a real possibility that we’re going to do nothing at all. I mean, if I can’t attend every Bible Study, if I can’t go to church every week, if I just can’t “pray without ceasing,” man, if God wants everything and I can’t or won’t do it, then why do anything at all? At least, on one hand, that’s what some folks seem to think. But on the other hand, though, when it’s all or nothing, sometimes we convince ourselves that we’re actually doing everything for God. At least, that’s what we say. And so, when Debbie and I go out to lunch after worship, it’s for God. And when I take a nap later this afternoon, it’s for God. And when I watch the Steelers play the Texans tomorrow evening, now I think you get my point. Personally, I believe we’d be much better off deciding to give some even if it’s not all because it’s a heck of a lot better than giving nothing or assuming we’re giving the divine everything. And once we’ve done that, once we dedicated some of our time to God, now we can start thinking about what’s actually most important. I mean, is it better to spend time in prayer or in study or in service? And for me, what would be the ideal balance as I seek to please God and help myself? And when the situation changes, am I willing to change the balance? Now, for me, that’s how we prioritize the time we give to the Lord. And along with putting it to good and effective use, that’s how we can offer God our gift of time.
Now, having said all that, I think this whole idea of making time, man, that’s always going to irritate me. You see, whether we like it or not, our time just can’t be made or created or manufactured, because when you get right down to it, it’s set. It’s finite. It’s limited. Man, that’s not going to change until Jesus returns and the dead are raised and we enter a new heaven and a new earth. And I’ll tell you, for that reason, the time we have will always be precious.
And maybe that’s why this particular gift is so important for God and for us. You see, when we give it, well, I believe it really pleases our Lord and I know it can really help us. And you know, even though it may be challenging, I think this is something we can actually give when we decide to use and to prioritize it. And I’ll tell you, when we do, in my opinion, we’ll be offering to God our gift of time.
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