Give God One Year

What's the most valuable thing you possess right now? Maybe you're thinking about that antique guitar your grandfather gave you or that watch you got for your college graduation. Here's the truth: none of those things are your most valuable asset. Your time is. And once time is gone, it's gone forever.

The Biblical Value of Numbering Our Days

David understood something profound about time that most of us miss. In Psalm 90:12, he prays, "Teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom." David is not asking God to help him count days on a calendar. He's asking for a sober view of what it means to have finite time on earth, to have a limited window to know God, serve Him, and be a kingdom person in everything we do.

When you're a kid, you never think about the longevity of life. You're playing, having fun, and assuming life goes on forever. As you get older, you gain responsibilities, and reality hits. David understands this. He says in Psalm 39:4, "Show me, oh Lord, my life's end and the number of my days." He wants God to give him a feel for how long he has, so he can know how hard to run.

We always ask people, "What would you do if this were your last day on earth?" People say they'd eat as many Oreos as they could or fly to Cancun. But shouldn't our answer be about wanting to serve God more than we ever have? It's almost like we're worried heaven won't be fun, so we've got to do all we can to have fun while we're here. That's backwards thinking.

Time Is More Valuable Than Money

We trade time for everything. You trade your time for your career, for comfort, for entertainment. Most people get paid by the hour, which proves that our time has monetary value. But time is actually worth more than money because money can be earned again, opportunities can return, and possessions can be replaced. Time cannot.

Have you seen those videos of people robbing banks or driving down the road, throwing money out the window? If time is more valuable than money and we're just wasting our time, we're literally doing the same thing. We're throwing away something with infinite value.

I saw a statistic recently about screen time, and it was honestly humbling. On average, we spend eight hours a day on our phones. Eight hours. And we're all trying to convince ourselves, "But Lord, I was working!" The amount of time we throw away is staggering when you really think about it.

The Principle of Giving and Receiving

Here at City of Life, we talk about time, talent, and treasure. Notice the order. Time comes first because it's our most valuable commodity. Paul quotes Jesus saying, "It is better to give than to receive." And Jesus said, "Give, and it will be given unto you, pressed down, shaken together, running over."

Here's the revolutionary part: if time is the most valuable thing we possess, and Jesus says to give, what happens when we deliberately give our time? The principle of sowing and reaping tells us we get time back. Giving reshapes the giver.

If God has your time, your talent will align. If God has your time, your treasure will follow. This isn't a fundraising principle. This is spiritual formation. And in our 40th year as a church, we need maturity. Not faster faith, deeper faith.

Jacob's Revelation About God's Presence

Let me tell you about a heel-grabber named Jacob. His name literally means that because when he was born as a twin, he was holding onto his brother Esau's heel. Jacob spent his whole life trying to keep up with his older brother, swindling him out of his birthright for soup and stealing his blessing by pretending to be him. The Bible says Esau was so hairy that Jacob put animal fur on his arms to fool his father. Esau needed some serious male grooming.

But here's where it gets good. Jacob ran from his brother, who wanted him dead, and he slept in the desert with his head on a rock. He had a dream and saw a ladder with angels ascending and descending from heaven. When he woke up, he said something that has become one of the most powerful scriptures in the entire Bible: "Surely the presence of the Lord was here, and I did not know it."

Can you imagine? The presence of the Lord was right there with him in the middle of nowhere, and he didn't even notice. That's the modern condition, friend. We're moving so fast internally that we're failing to notice the power, the beauty, and the manifest presence of God all around us.

The Three Aspects of God's Presence

As believers, we need to understand that there are different aspects of God's presence. 

First is His omnipresence, meaning God is everywhere. David talked about it when he said, "Where can I go to escape you?" Even if I go to the highest high or make my bed in death, You are there. God is up, down, over, underneath, in between. He's in eternity past, in the present, and in eternity future.

Second is His abiding presence. If you've got Jesus living in your heart, that means you have God with you. Not just here in a philosophical sense, but personally with you. You can be in a room with thousands of people but only be with one person. There's an aspect of God's presence that is so personal that He is with me. That's Emmanuel. God with us.

Third is His manifest presence. This is when God becomes so tangible that we're aware He's in the room in a way that has weight to it. I remember one time I was praying and worshiping the Lord, and I felt something in the room the same way you feel when someone walks in behind you. I was terrified. I was afraid to look up, afraid of what I might see. That's the manifest presence of God when He is upon us.

The Power of Stillness

We cannot be aware of His presence unless we are intentional. And that's why I'm launching this idea called "Give God One Year." Studies show that the minimum time to form a habit is about 30 days, but the most powerful amount of time to make sure something sticks is six to twelve months. That twelve-month period is what we need for real transformation.

Psalm 46:10 says, "Be still and know that I am God." Not be still and pray. Not be still and quote Scripture. Be still and know. When's the last time you were truly still before the Lord? I'm not talking about trying to fall asleep. I'm talking about quieting your soul and your mind to be aware of His presence.

This year is about developing a life of stillness before the Lord. And I know what you're thinking. Stillness sounds impossible in our chaotic world. But here's the thing: the kind of stillness we need isn't predicated on everything being quiet or slowing down for us. You could be standing on a busy street corner and still be still in the presence of the Lord. We have to learn to slow down in the chaos because the chaos doesn't slow down for us.

You can do this anywhere. In a bathroom. In your car. Walking from your car to work. And what you appreciate appreciates. When you take time to appreciate the presence of God, you set a standard in your life. Appreciation produces multiplication.

Twelve Disciplines for Twelve Months

This is the year of spiritual disciplines, and I'm fired up about it. Here's what we're doing as a church family across the entire year:

• January: Solitude and Silence
• February: Tithing
• March: Invitation and Evangelism
• April: Faithful Church Attendance
• May: Prayer
• June: Bible Reading
• July: Cutting Out Distractions
• August: Serving
• September: Community and Small Groups
• October: Fasting
• November: Generosity
• December: Sabbath

This is about formation, not performance. Time is finite. Days are measured. Drift is dangerous. Awareness is the cure. Forty years calls us to maturity, and one year calls us to trust.

The Promise for Those Who Dwell in His Presence

Listen to what Psalm 91 promises for those who appreciate and dwell in the presence of God: 

"Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust."

The psalm goes on to promise protection from snares, pestilence, terror by night, and arrows by day. It says a thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. It promises that God will command His angels concerning you, that you'll tread on lions and cobras, and that He will rescue, protect, and deliver those who love Him.

And here's the promise that gets me every time: "With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation." This is what your future looks like. This is what today and tomorrow look like when you dwell in the presence of God.

Your Invitation to Go Deeper

This isn't a vow. It's not pressure. It's an invitation for you to go to another place in your life. If you're willing to give God one year, not perfectly but intentionally, I promise you something. Look back one year from now after you've made a strong commitment to God, and your life will be more powerful, more inspired.

This doesn't mean everything will be fixed in your life. This isn't a magic solution. It doesn't mean you'll be making more money or finding the relationship you've been looking for. That's not how it works. It means that from the inside out, who you are in Christ is going to be full. You're going to have a sense of purpose about your life that you cannot imagine.

We're stepping into our 40th year at City of Life. Forty years of God's faithfulness to this house. And now it's time for us to step up and be mature in our faith. Revival is coming. The Holy Spirit is moving. The lame will walk, the blind will see.

So I'm asking you today: will you give God one year? Will you journey through these twelve disciplines with our church family? Because when we appreciate the presence of God together, when we slow down enough to notice Him, when we stop the internal drift and speed that's making us miss what's right in front of us, everything changes.

Time is the most valuable thing you possess. Don't throw it away. Give it to God. Give Him one year, and watch what He does with your life.