In this message, Andrew Chartren challenges us to stop standing still and start running the race God has called us to run. It’s a reminder to keep Jesus at the center, let go of the things holding us back, and use our time to make an eternal difference.
Time is short. Let’s run well.
Time Is Short: What Will You Do With Jesus?
When I look at an hourglass, I think about time. The grains of sand keep falling, and eventually they run out. That simple picture became the heart of my message: time is short, so what are we going to do with Jesus?
We live in turbulent and uncertain times, and while we may not know exactly when the Lord will return, we do know that our time on earth is limited. The question isn’t simply whether we believe in Jesus. The question is: Are we running the race God has called us to run, or have we become spiritually complacent?
1. Wake Up and Run the Race God Has Given You While There Is Still Time
Romans 13:11 gives us a powerful challenge: “It is already the hour for you to awaken from your sleep of spiritual complacency.” There is an urgency to that passage. We aren’t called to sleepwalk through our Christian lives. We’re called to wake up, put on Christ, and live intentionally for Him all the time.
Paul gives us another picture in 1 Corinthians 9:24: “Run in such a way that you may seize the prize and make it yours.”
I don’t want to simply jog my way to the finish line. I want to run. I want to complete the assignment God has given me. And I want to encourage you to ask the same question: What has God called me to do with the life He’s given me?
We don’t all have the same circumstances or abilities. I’ve had plenty of reasons to feel disqualified. I was born with cerebral palsy and spent time in the foster care system, and I’ve wrestled with abandonment, identity, pain and other struggles. But none of those things disqualify me from running the race.
You may have your own obstacles. But you are not disqualified.
2. Don’t Lose Any Time to Obstacles Taking You Off Course
Running a race doesn’t mean you never fall. Sometimes we trip. Sometimes we make mistakes. Sometimes we become discouraged, distracted or spiritually stagnant. I’ve experienced those things myself.
The important thing is that we get back up and keep running.
We need to honestly ask ourselves what is holding us back. Is it pride? Addiction? Anger? A hard heart? Distractions? A “poor me” mentality? Whatever it is, we can bring it to God.
The answer isn’t to fight in our own strength. We need to get back on our knees and allow the Holy Spirit to work in us. Ephesians 6 reminds us that God has given us spiritual armour, and Galatians 5 reminds us that the Spirit produces His fruit in our lives.
God wants to free us from the things that keep us from running well.
And sometimes our brokenness can actually become a place where God works through us. I’ve experienced that personally. Even in the midst of physical pain and limitations, I’ve seen God use me to encourage, pray for and minister to others. The power isn’t in me—it’s the Spirit of God working through me.
3. For All Time, Keep Jesus at the Center and Be a Witness
One of the greatest challenges of this message is simply this: What is the priority of your life?
Our careers, possessions, education and even the good things we love can become distractions when they take first place over God. That doesn’t mean those things don’t matter. It means Jesus must remain at the center.
We are not called merely to sit in church and hear the Word. James tells us to be doers of the Word (James 1:22).
There are people all around us who need Jesus. There are people who are hurting, lonely, hungry, homeless and searching for hope. We have an opportunity to be His hands and feet.
I’ve seen how something as simple as stopping to talk with someone can open a door for the Gospel. I think about a woman I met at a park named Juanita. God gave me words to speak into her life, and that conversation opened the door for prayer and ultimately for leading her toward the Lord.
That’s what it means to be a witness.
We don’t need to wait for someone else to do it. We have been given the opportunity—and the responsibility—to make an eternal difference with the time we’ve been given.
Time Is Ticking
The hourglass was only a small prop, but it carries a big message. Compared with eternity, our lives are incredibly short.
James describes our life as a vapour (James 4:14). The question isn’t whether our time will eventually run out. It will. The question is what we will do with the time God has given us.
So let’s live with urgency—not fear, but purpose.
Let’s ask God:
- What do I need to change?
- What do I need to let go of?
- What do I need to forgive?
- What distractions are taking me off course?
- What have You called me to do?
And then let’s do it.
I don’t want to stand on the sidelines watching other people run their race. I want to finish well. I want to hear my King say that I did what He called me to do—not because I was strong enough on my own but because I trusted Him and allowed Him to work through me.
Time is short. The hourglass is running, reminding us that time will one day run out. So let’s wake up, keep Jesus at the center, and run the race God has given us.