Bible Study – Enough Time
by Abiding Love
Enough for Now — Unpacking God’s Sufficiency*
Lesson 5 – Enough Time
Introduction
In the French story “The Magic Thread”, a young boy named Peter receives a silver ball from an old woman. The old woman tells Peter the silver ball contains a thin golden thread. She explains, “This thread is your life thread, your life will pass normally. But if you wish to have time pass more quickly, simply pull on the thread a little and an hour will pass by like a minute.
At first, Peter is just happy to have this precious gift and is a little afraid to use it. But one day his class seems boring, so he gives the thread a tiny pull. Suddenly the school day is over and he is walking the forest path back to his home. After this experience, Peter uses the gift of the magic thread whenever life seems tedious or difficult. He pulls to hasten his wedding day. He hurries the work weeks along to payday. He pulls the thread to help his children become self-sufficient sooner. He uses the unique gift whenever impatient or annoyed.
Suddenly he awakes to find he is an old man. He goes to find the old woman to return the ball to her. He returns it sadly, for truly he never had to wait or to suffer, but life passed by so swiftly that he had not time to fully experience what happened – the good or the bad.
Remember the parable of the Rich Fool (Luke 12:14-21). How did the fool act like Peter?
Do you ever make contentment contingent on some upcoming event, only to find you could have had happiness all along if only you had taken time to engage fully in life? Are you doing that now?
Scripture: Luke 12:25 / Matthew 6:33-34
- In both passages, Jesus encourages us not to worry. Name some ways anxiety about the future can rob you of joy in the present.
- Turning your mind from worry, write down an unexpected joy that has come to you during this strange season of the coronavirus.
- Like Peter in the story, maybe my time or your time on earth is near its end. The world worries. We trust and rejoice that “To Die is Gain” (Philippians 1:21). I could die of coronavirus today. I could also die of a car crash or a coronary blockage. By God’s grace, all of them mean the same thing – heaven! Eternal life! Do you remember the memory verse we learned a few days ago? Luke 12:32 – “Do not be afraid, little flock…” (If you don’t remember, look it up again.)
If you knew you had 30 days until eternal life in heaven, how would you use these days?
Scripture: Luke 10:38-42
- Who looked like she was getting things done? Who felt like there was not enough time to get things done? Who was enjoying the moment? Who did Jesus say chose what is better?
- Like Martha, our rushing with a laundry list of things to do that never seems to get done often comes from our worries. How would this section of Scripture change the way you use your time?
- Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote, “We must be ready to allow ourselves to be interrupted by God. God will be constantly crossing our paths and canceling our plans by sending us people with claims and petitions.” This is easier to do when we have built margin into our lives.” If we schedule activity for every minute of every day, we panic with the slightest variation. But building extra time into our days and weeks can give the space to call a hurting friend, do something special with a family member, or slow down to ponder God’s grace and His Word.
How could you build “margins” into your life?
CLOSE WITH THE LORD’S PRAYER, LUTHER’S MORNING OR EVENING PRAYER, or a PRAYER OF YOUR OWN.
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