Now is the Time
Friday 29th August
Teddy Roosevelt once said, ”Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” This is really very good advice and very few of us follow it like we should.
So often we plan to do great things when... It is better to do small things right now than wait until later to do great things. The poor widow who threw in her two mites might have reasoned that she would give great things when she became rich but she did what she could with what she had right where she was.
Many a young person as put off being baptized until they graduate, until they get a job, until they get married. Many a Christadelphian puts off preaching the Truth until they know enough, until the time is right, until they go into the mission field. The whole world is the mission field and the time to preach is now.
Mary is a good example of doing what she could with wh at she had, where she was. Her sister, Martha, was much better off financially. Luke tells us that Martha ”received Jesus into her house.” Each time we read about Mary she is following Jesus into someone else’s house. Twice it was into the home of a man named Simon and once in the home of her sister, Martha. Mary could not invite Jesus into her home, she didn’t have one. But the important thing is, Mary did what she could. In fact these are the very words of Jesus concerning her. Jesus said, ”Let her alone; why trouble ye her? she hath wrought a good work on me. For ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good: but me ye have not always. She hath done what she could.”
Mary couldn’t do much but she did what she could. This is all that the Lord asks of any of us. Just to do what we can.
Martha too should be commended for doing what she could. How many housewives of today would not have invited Jesus into their home because the living room needs painting or the carpet is worn or there are others who can cook a fancier meal? Again Martha did what she could. Her home was not the best in town and maybe someone else was a better cook but she invited him because she was doing what she could with what she had where she was.
Now the important thing is for us to make sure that we are doing what we can with what we have where we are. Right now is the time to begin. Is anyone sick? Go see them, write them a card today, phone them up and let them know we care. Do it now. Who do we know that does not know the Truth? Have we told them about our wonderful hope, that there is no need to worry about the fuel shortage, the threat of war, the runaway inflation, the moral decay going on around us? People are concerned about these things. We know that everything is on schedule for the return of Christ. Are we telling everyone we can about our wonderful hope? You need not wait until there is a special lecture in town to invite your friends. Do what you can with what you have where you are. You do not need to wait until you understand Daniel and Revelation before you begin to preach the truth. Tell them what you know and begin now to tell it. The more you tell it, the more you will learn yourself.
Many babes in the Truth have interested their friends while many of the seasoned veterans are waiting until just the right time to bring it up. If someone’s house was on fire we would not wait until we had a megaphone or a loud speaker system to yell out ”FIRE!”. We would do it right where we were with the vocal chords we now possess.
Paul told the Corinthians ”Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” The time for us to serve the Lord is right now. Begin today ”to do what you can, with what you have, where you are.”