Being in the light is the only way to keep from sleeping!

"But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light. Therefore He says: "Awake you who are asleep, arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light." See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is." (Ephesians 5:13-17).

One thing that has been creeping into conversations with everyone I talk to is how quickly time is going by. It is not something that is particular to certain people, but people in college, my mother and sisters, and other friends who are not in school. The answer is simple, even if it is one non-believers want to swallow: we are living in the last days of time, and the fullness of time is sooner than we think. Today I asked my roommate what he did on his day off today (he works like a dog in the physics lab normally), and he told me he was just killing time. I answered, "Don't bother doing that, time will always win." I was joking, but as I thought about it, there's no denying its veracity. Everyone of us is guilty to some degree of not using our time as wisely as we should, but getting upset about it does nothing: we certainly can't stop time (where is what's-his-name from Heroes when you need him...)!

I was talking to someone today about how Cornerstone used to be much more active with ministries and meetings, almost every day. Somehow God gave the leaders the ability to use their time wisely, spending time with their small groups and still getting good grades. This year I've felt like a bum at times, since this is the first year since I was like 12 where I have gone to school and not worked at the same time. Yes, laziness is not something I can say I've concquered, far from it. I've been trying to use my time as wisely as I can, but often don't and make myself feel guilty about it. What is most important however, is for us to see the value of working hard. People throughout history have endured the most grueling of circumstances available because of either sheer necessity, or they had hope that their work was not in vain. It is crucial that we remain in the light, praying for God to guide us and discipline us to work hard. Staying connected to other campus ministries around us is a great way to reach out too. Don't start to feel guilty about a lack of outreach, but instead pray that God will instill a true love and fear of Him, which will propel us to go where He desires!