Running Out Of Time

Gò0dNews for Everyone

Running Out Of Time

by Nikki Hill

“Iam coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown” (Revelation 3:11). Have you ever had a troubled heart that lead to conviction? You may not be a bad person because you give money to charities, feed the poor, help the elderly, take care of your family, go to church, read your Bible, and more, yet you feel deep within your heart that something else is missing, something very important. But for whatever reason, you cannot pinpoint the exact thing that is causing a growing void in your life that spills out into your everyday life. The void can put a strain on your marriage, your job, your relationships with others, and perhaps even your own health. And it is during trying times such as this global pandemic or when you feel your health begin to decline that you reevaluate or meditate on what you have done from the time you are born to the present to bring God glory with how you have lived your life. “What then,” I ask myself, “is missing?” And after much praying and meditation came revelation: “Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19).

To some, filling that “void” may look different. But for me, there is a strong conviction of not sharing the Good News as much as my heart yearns to do. Because my heart longs to spread the Word more, I cannot grasp why I am not sharing the Gospel in many more forms than I do, whether by word of mouth, social media, artwork, through my gifts and talents, or others. Maybe I have grasped the why but I have not fully accepted that I need to stand up for myself and not let fear drive me to a dead-end road. And as much as I don’t want to admit, because I am allowing the fear of being used with possible consequences to influence me, I am providing Satan with a foothold, going against the very command, “…and do not give the devil a foot hold” (Ephesians 4:27). What then shall I do? Pray without ceasing. Admit I cannot do this on my own. Stay consistently in the Word. Hope. Believe. Trust. Confess my sins. Ask for forgiveness. Be obedient. Repeat! I just have to do it. How deep is my love for the Lord? When we love someone so deeply, we often would do almost anything for them within our power. It’s like loving our children. We may have said or heard others say, “I love you so much I would take a bullet for you.” We may mean it figuratively and/or literally to express how much we love someone. Jesus expressed His love to us by going to Calvary. When we truly take up our cross, we are doing more than telling God we love Him: we are showing Him how much we love Him by laying down our lives to spread the Good News. My understanding is that I want my void to be filled by spreading the Gospel. So I must seek and ask God, and when I do, I have to be willing to truly take up my cross. So, too, must anyone who is willing to follow our Savior to earn their crown before time runs out.

About The Author Nikki Hill is a graduate from Lee University in Cleveland, Tennessee, with a Bachelors in English. She has a beautiful family and one day hopes to be a teacher and inspirational speaker.