We are in Switzerland, the Land of Chocolate, Cheese, and Watches!
Only one of these is Swiss. From left to right: Seiko Quartz from my Stepdad; MoonSwatch Quartz (this is the Swiss one!); and Seiko Sports Automatic.
We are at YWAM Lausanne and we’re at the halfway point of the Life of Paul Seminar. It’s been wonderful and challenging. One of our assignments was to meditate on a verse from the Bible. I chose:
Teach us to number our days that we may gain a wise heart.
Psalm 90:12
I spent an hour thinking on this. I thought about each phrase:
Teach Us…
It’s a request… it says,
I recognize that I need to be mindful in my life.
I recognize that I can run off in pursuit of meaningless things
I recognize that I am often unaware of the big picture; focused on the minutiae… (I am a little too left brained).
I think too that ‘teach us’ is saying, “Hey you, reader! Learn wisdom! Be aware of how short your life is!”
‘Teach us’ suggests a relationship, a mentoring, a transforming… it recognizes the ongoing walking with that we have with Holy Spirit. When I put myself in the posture of a learner, it leads to wisdom.…
Numbering our Days…
I am to live in the reality of death
I need to recognize that the time is short
The unspoken is, “make the most of it”.
Since this is about wisdom, it suggests we make the most of the time not in a hedonistic, self-serving way, but in a wise, God-fearing way.
Numbering our days shouldn’t result in a cautious holding back; it does not mean don’t love, don’t eat, don’t run.
Instead it should mean, run faster, love harder, fully experience your life
On the other hand, numbering our days shouldn’t result in a reckless pursuit of pleasure.
It may mean go hard into the lonely disciplines, the ones of abstinence as well
A Wise Heart…
This mindfulness results in wisdom. Is it causation? Or correlation? I suppose it’s possible to be mindful but unwise.
Wisdom is like the guide rails along the road.
Too far in one direction, and we end up in self-serving, competitive, hedonistic, pleasure, with no regard for others or perhaps even self.
Too far in the other direction and we end up not actually living and experiencing the days we are given.
I suppose wisdom also includes right priority; the wise one prioritizes that which leads to life, that which aligns with God.
There is a focus on the things that draw us closer to God and one another
There is an intentional diminishing of even good things that may be creating distance between us
The wise have an eternal perspective because life is short
*******
I was reminded that Paul wrote about this to the Ephesians:
Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.
Ephesians 5:15-16 (ESV)
As I was thinking about all this, I glanced down at my watch. I was wearing the Seiko Automatic. And in that moment, I didn’t care so much about what time it was… I was struck that this little machine on my wrist was ticking. It was marking the moment. It reminded me that life is less about being early or late or on time, and more about living this moment intentionally.
When I put my watch on this morning, I saw it as a reminder to make the best use of the time today…