Time is the first pillar of stewardship

Intermountain Catholic

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The Most Rev. John C. Wester, Bishop of Salt Lake City

Today’s article on stewardship marks the third in a series in which I have been reflecting on Stewardship: Our Way of Life. In the first reflection I brought out the fact that stewardship is not so much a program as it is a spirituality, a way of relating to God and to the world. In the second, I concentrated on gratitude as the overriding theme of this particular way of life. In this issue, I wish to treat the first of the three pillars of stewardship: time. The other two, talent and treasure, I will treat in subsequent articles.

Without a doubt, time is one of God’s most precious gifts. We are constantly talking about time. For some there is not enough of it; for others, it passes too slowly; for still others it seems to be unmanageable. One thing is for sure: time, along with the tide, waits for no one! We are not in charge of it – no, it is God’s very special gift to us. In fact, it is the only thing that is truly ours. Think of it – everything I say I own, all my possessions, my money, my insurance policies, are not really mine. When I die, some of it will go to my heirs, some will be paid to Uncle Sam and the rest will just fade away into the ether (or the garbage dump!) But my time is truly mine. It is the "stuff" of my life, the very essence of it. Each passing moment marks my existence, an unrepeatable existence that did not precede me nor will it linger after my death. My time is my life. As a matter of fact, a helpful reflection is to take the word "time" and replace it with "life" in any expression. For example, "Oh, I’m just killing life." Or, "I lost track of life." Or, "Did you have a good life?" This exercise underscores that fact that life is precious. If I give you the gift of my time, I cannot ask for it back. I’ve given you a piece of my life. Those who are married in the Church have given their very lives to each other since they commit all the time they have to each other. And God want us with him forever, even beyond time! Time is truly the ultimate gift.

It is important to remember that God has given us just enough time: not too much and not too little. Each precious moment is exactly what God meant for us to have. Like a Mozart symphony, there is not one second (note) out of place. Adding or detracting even one nanosecond would be contrary to God’s loving providence. Each moment is ours to live fully. When we share it with another, we are giving them the ultimate gift. What better return can I make to the Lord than the gift of my time? When I reach out to my brother or sister in need, when I spend time in prayer, when I volunteer to visit the sick, I am giving my life back to God in gratitude and praise. The way I spend my time is a great indicator of my priorities. If I believe that God is a real priority in my life, in my time, and never provide for periods of prayer in my schedule, then I’m kidding myself. Time is at the core of gratitude. It’s not how much I have but how I use what God has given to me that makes all the difference.

We will be starting Stewardship: Our Way of Life in a very short while. All of us will have the opportunity to reflect on how best to express our gratitude to God for all he has given us, particularly the gift of time, the gift of life. I’m really looking forward to joining you as we embrace stewardship in our diocese. Actually, it’s about time!