This Is No Sacrifice; Here's My Life

     A few issues that have been brought to my attention for consideration lately are the following: Do I want to go to Italy with my sister-in-laws? Is global warming real? Did I know Alex Haley really didn't write the book, "Roots"? My answer to all of these are, "I don't have time for this."
     God tells us to "redeem the time," until His return, and "to occupy" until He comes. Also, He tells us to proclaim Jesus to those in our world, and seek first His Kingdom. If we, as Christ followers allow the distractions of the world to consume us, our lives would be eaten up by them and the life Christ wants for us would go by the wayside. Don't get me wrong; I love pretty places like Italy, and I love to find out the truth of things and could spend my life researching them, but what good would that do? It would only serve to occupy me, instead of me occupying what God wills for me.
     Not only does God want our life, but our life is made up of time, and He wants that too. I mean, are we really giving up our life if we want to keep our time for our self? No, one is directly connected to the other. When He involves us in ministry, it involves helping other people in one way or the other; not pursuing our own likes and interests without end. These are the things we give up for Him, as He gave His life up for us.