Alabaster Jar (Gateway Worship, 2008) is a familiar worship song about giving Jesus our everything. Like the woman who brought the alabaster jar, broke it and anointed Jesus with its costly content (Matthew 26:6-13), we are invited to do the same with all we consider precious and hold dear. It is not that Jesus demands this requirement, but that He deserves this response. He died for us. We live for Him. Yes, Jesus is worthy of our highest praise and deepest worship.
Of late, the second verse of this song has been getting my attention:
This time that I have left is all I have of worth
Alabaster Jar, Gateway Worship, 2008.
I lay it at Your feet, Lord, it’s less than You deserve
And though I’ve little strength, and though my days are few
You gave Your life for me so I will live my life for You
Hmmm … This time that I have left …
In 2004, I stepped out of the family business to fully devote myself to the Father’s business. In the 9th year, I realised that “[t]he next lap of ministry, the next 10 years, would be critical and I had to know what, why and how – not forgetting that as ages go up, energy levels go down. This revelation moved me into overdrive mode as I sought the Lord even more intently” (Say To Archippus, xiv).
In 2014, the year I turned 50, I stepped out again in obedience to the Lord’s instruction to pioneer the work of Archippus Awakening: a ministry dedicated to the awakening of the saints to know and fulfil their God-given kingdom assignments.
This is my 15th year of serving the Lord in a full-time capacity. As I run all out for Jesus, I become more and more aware of how frail and weak I am. Let’s just say that I have entered the season where the body takes a while to catch up with what the mind intends to do; if it even gets there at all! The younger ones will not fully appreciate this (I didn’t when I was your age); and the more senior ones are all too ready to tell me that I am still young (yes, you will always be older than me).
The point is simply this: we don’t have as much time as we think we do.
This is why the second verse of Alabaster Jar grips my heart each time I sing it: This time that I have left is all I have of worth … and though I’ve little strength … and though my days are few …
That’s the reality! With each passing day, we don’t have more time or energy; we have less! For this reason, it really matters how we live for the Lord. As I grow older, as I prepare to turn 55 soon, I realise that I no longer have the luxury of wasting time or energy on things or activities that do not have eternal significance. I want to only do what matters to Jesus and His kingdom and I want to do it well, with whatever time and strength I have left.
And say to Archippus,
“Take heed to the ministry which you have received
in the Lord that you may fulfil it.” Colossians 4:17
When the Lord used Colossians 4:17 to shape my kingdom assignment five years ago, I was (and still am) fully convinced that it is an urgent message for every believer to know and fulfil kingdom assignments. Along the way, the more I have declared this message, the more personal it has become. This one little verse encourages and strengthens me to keep keeping on, especially in a season where physical challenges are experienced a lot more.
And so I plod on, reminding myself that in my weakness, His strength will be made perfect. Over the next two months, the Lord will enable me as I minister at three back-to-back church camps (Woodlands Evangelical Free Church, Bethesda Katong Church and Bukit Panjang Methodist Church). He will empower me to prepare and teach the 93rd & 94th sessions of KINGDOM101, as well as speak at Tanglin Fellowship, Full Gospel Assembly and Salem Chapel.
He will refresh me as I declare the Archippus Awakening message at yet another “Awakened Aligned Assigned” Seminar – the third this year – this time in partnership with Bedok Methodist Church (12-13 July). And He will be present as Archippuses assemble at AWE2019 across the weekend of 26-28 July in Batam (register: tinyurl.com/awe2019july).
Indeed, as long as the Lord graces me with another day, I will do all I can, with all I have, for His name and glory.
Have another look at this verse:
This time that I have left is all I have of worth
I lay it at Your feet, Lord, it’s less than You deserve
And though I’ve little strength, and though my days are few
You gave Your life for me so I will live my life for You
What are you doing with the time you have left? If you are still young, it is never too early to begin giving your all for the Jesus and His kingdom. If you are older, it is never too late to offer yourself to the Lord for His use and the purposes of His kingdom.
“Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
only what’s done for Christ will last.” C.T. Studd
One Day At A Time 