Daylight Savings Time
I don’t know about you, but I can’t stand Daylight Savings Time. Even when we gain an hour, it’s annoying that I have to remember to prepare and change my clocks. Then when we lose an hour, my feelings border on hate because I feel off for a few days. Do you feel me?
However, they say there are benefits to Daylight Savings Time ranging from the economy to safety in early morning travel, so I’ll try to believe they are right. It’s crazy that on the 4th of July we have to wait till almost 10pm to do fireworks. For parents of young kids, you need sleep. Can I get a witness?
Through all of this complaining, there is a spiritual truth in Daylight Savings Time, and it’s this: We must live fearlessly to maximize our days!
How true and challenging this is. We want to live fearlessly but we don’t. We want to maximize our lives, but most people live with regret. It’s the yo-yo of life pulling us up and down at different times and for different reasons. This leaves too many of us unfulfilled and frustrated. But God has better for us!
You see, time is moving. As we get older, it seems to be moving faster and faster. Five years go by in a flash, so it’s incumbent on us to seize the moment and live fearlessly! But how? With bills, kids, relationships, marriage, life and more fear lurking at our door, at times it’s hard to feel like we are living fully. In fact, it feels more like survival mode in the day-to-day, week-to-week, month-to-month and year-to-year. Too many of relate to this – but God has better for us!
But how do we live fearlessly?
I believe the only way to live fearlessly is through Christ! He is our Prince of Peace and the Ruler of our start and finish. His ability is greater and His love is immeasurable. All we need is Him, and all fear has to bow before Him. We don’t like that Daylight Savings Time is happening, but if we don’t embrace Jesus, we will be a victim of fear’s grip. He is our answer! He is our hope. Through Him any fear will be vanquished from our lives.
“In God, whose word I praise – in God I trust and am not afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?”
Psalms 56:4
Notice the steps we can take to live fearless in here in this verse. He is empowering us with what we need to overcome and overwhelm our fear.
First, we trust in God’s Word. This is huge. Jesus Himself used the Word of God when tempted in Matthew 4:1-11. He quoted a verse three times and then the devil left Him. If Jesus needed the Word of God, how much more do we? It’s so important to have one to three verses we love, memorize and speak out loud daily. There is great power when we pray the Word of God over ourselves and over our situations. Doing so empowers God to move through His Promises, fulfilling them in our lives. Too often, fear tries to paralyze us. It makes us unable to move forward. When we speak the Word of God, that fear has to leave. We must believe that we can “fear not,” since the Bible says this command 365 times!
Second, we trust God. This speaks of falling down and yielding our strength to Him. Have you ever come to the end of your strength? It’s a good thing to fall down before Jesus, giving Him our lives. Most of the time we do this when we feel at the end of our rope and there is no other answer besides Him. However, we don’t have to wait till to fall down before Him but rather it can be a lifestyle of surrender to Him. It can be a fearless life, redeeming the Daylight Savings Time we have!
We must believe that trusting Him is better than trusting ourselves.
From these two points the Psalmist then declares, “I will not fear,” and “What can others do to me?” How powerful! His trust in God and in His word propelled Him into a different place of peace and power that conquered his fear. It compelled him to live fearless!
David wrote this when he was behind enemy lines among those who wanted him dead. The great hero of Israel was on the run from King Saul and was now with the enemies of God’s people. Yet he said, “I will not fear.” This is for us too! You may be behind enemy lines with your family, your finance, your hope and more, yet Jesus is greater. Right where you are, take the bold step and trust God, trust His Word and fall down before Him. Give your strength to Him. Let Him fill you with the power to live a fearless life and maximize your moments for His glory.
This is how we live free. This is how we live fearless. This is how we find fulfillment.
So Daylight Savings Time is happening this week – what will you do? Time is moving and it won’t stop for you. Your time is now!
May you live fearlessly by falling down before Him and giving Him your heart.
Have a great week and the best is yet to come,
PD