What does the average person spend his or her time doing in an average lifetime. A recent study reveals the following about our use of time. The newspaper headline stated, "Expert Studies Time Wasted For Nothing" -- June 21. A Pittsburgh consulting firm has thrown valuable light on the reason we complain that time goes too fast. According to Priority Management, we waste our lives in the following proportions: five years spent waiting on lines, six years eating, four years doing housework, one year looking for lost possessions, eight months opening junk mail, six months sitting at traffic lights and two years phoning people who are never home, all for a total of 19 years two months frittered away on tasks widely considered tedious. What can we do about it? Eat at Wendy's, for they are found to have faster service than both McDonalds and Burger King."

We live in a world which is governed by the clock. Deadlines, appointments, schedules, calendars, watches and clocks, and birthdays are all part of our lives. I well imagine that we have all felt the need for more time. At times, we may well feel that twenty-four hour days are just not enough to get done what still needs to be done.

However, the Bible talks about a day when time shall be no more. Living in eternity will mean living with no clocks, watches, or calendars. How different it will be to live in a world where time shall be no more. The famous song, "Amazing Grace", says, "When we've been there ten thousand years . . . We've no less days to sing God's praise than when we first begun." It is very difficult for us to grasp that fact, to comprehend what it means to live with no end in sight. However, every man and woman will spend eternity somewhere after our time runs out in this world. One of the most important questions that we must all answer relates to time, "Where will you spend eternity?"

That questions is important because of the key word "eternity." Where will we be one second after we leave this time bound world and enter into a world that will never end? The word "eternity" is what makes this question worthy of our consideration. There are many decisions in life that are extremely important in life because that decision involves a great deal of time. The college we attend college and the major we chose are important decisions because they may well determine what we spend our time doing for the rest of our lives. The man or woman we chose to marry is a very important decision because we are planning to spend the rest of our lives with him or her. The job we accept or the house we purchase are important decisions because we may well spend most of our life at that job and/or in that house.

How much more important then is a decision that will affect where we will spend eternity. Too often we do not give serious consideration to such an important decision as heaven and hell. We may not have even though enough about what determines where we will spend eternity? What is God's criteria or basis for determining who will live in those mansions that He has prepared? Surely, God must have revealed what one must do to live in heaven after their days on earth have ended! Yes, God understands that "eternity" is more important issue of life and He has told us what is required to spend eternity with Him. Jesus stated in John 14:6 "I am the way, the truth, the life, no man cometh to the Father but by me." It is only by trusting in what Jesus did for us, sinners in need of a Savior, on Calvary, that we are brought into the family of God.

* "Chronicle of the Year 1988" - pg. 53