Life is hectic. We don’t seem to have enough hours in the day to get everything done that we wish to do. Our lives are controlled by time, and sometimes many things get left undone that we felt like we need to do. Perhaps, it is not a question of time, but a question of priorities.

Jesus is our perfect example in all things, and last week we noticed that Jesus made time to pray, observe God’s handiwork in nature, and attend a social event. Jesus was never to busy to do these things, and we need to be like him in these things. As we continue to look at Jesus, we also realize that Jesus made time to:

ATTEND A FUNERAL. In John 11:14-35 we see him attending the funeral of his friend Lazarus. As you look at the account, one of the most touching things that we remember is that “Jesus wept.” His heart was touched by the plight of man, and by the sorrow of those left behind. He hurt with Mary and Martha, and we can know that he hurts when we hurt.

Sometimes, it does us good to go to a cemetery and read the epitaphs of those who have gone on. We find that the rich, the powerful, the poor, the beautiful and the weak all are there. All of them had joys and sorrows, successes and failures, good times and bad. The cemetery is not such a gloomy place—it just reminds us of what is important and what is trivial, and it reminds us of the fact that all of our problems will one day pass away. It reminds us of our mortality, and reminds us to make sure that we are right in God’s sight, because that is what really matters.

ATTEND TO THE SICK. Over and over, through the gospels, we read of people coming to Jesus to bring the sick and those who needed healing. We never read of a situation where Jesus did not attend to those in need. He also made time to visit and help those who were sick, sometimes going out of his way to show them he cared. We need to learn from his example. One visit is worth a basketful of letters. In Matthew 25 Jesus said that if you visited the sick, fed the hungry, gave water to the thirsty, clothed the naked and visited those in jail, you have done it unto me. We will be judged by how we have done what our Lord has done.

TAKE A VACATION. In Mark 1:35 and Mark 6:46 we read of Jesus getting away from the crowd, and renewing and recharging his batteries. As we noted last week, he got away to spend time with his Father in prayer, but he also taught the disciples a great lesson in resting and renewing themselves for what was to come ahead. While the devil never takes a vacation, Jesus did.

SHOW ATTENTION TO ONE PERSON. In John 3 and 4 we see Jesus taking the time out of his busy schedule for one person. He stayed up one night to talk with Nicodemus and talk with him about eternal matters. He spent some time with a woman in Samaria that no one else would, and taught her about the living water. He picked a woman out (that touched the hem of his garment and was healed) from a crowd of people, and in the midst of the crowd showed her that she mattered to him. One person was never an interruption of Jesus’ business – they were a part of Jesus’ business.

Jesus teaches us so much, by his words and by his example. We need to realize that we must learn, as Jesus teaches, to take time for the things that matter. One day time will be no more, and all that will matter then is what we have done for Christ. Take the time now to do what needs to be done. You will NEVER REGRET IT!