“Some soldiers asked Jesus, ‘What should we do?’ He replied, “Don’t extort money and don’t accuse people falsely—be content with your pay.’” – Luke 3:14
If you’ve been told, ‘Make something of yourself,’ join the club. Our membership includes almost everyone. These instructions have been given for decades by parents, grandparents, teachers and employers, usually as a challenge but sometimes as a rebuke. Regardless of how they’re given, how they’re received is more important. We all need to make something of ourselves and that’s easier done when we’re content. Here’s another suggestion to consider for the journey:
DO GOOD WITH YOUR TIME
This was the message Jesus gave those soldiers. Back then soldiers’ behavior was much different from what it is today. They were not seen as protectors as much as extorters. For soldiers to treat people with fairness and courtesy and dignity, and to be content with their wages and not rob citizens would have had a positive impact for good on the masses.
Doing good with the time we’re given can have a similar impact today. Imagine that God creates us as manufacturers, gives us tools like time, attitude and opportunity then gives us our work assignments: ‘Use these tools to make something good. Don’t use them to make excuses or make trouble. Use them to make people feel better, not worse. Use them to create an atmosphere with others so they enjoy, not regret, their time with you. Use them to make a difference in your tiny part of the world.’
I would love to make a positive difference with people by singing and dancing. But when I sing, the angels weep and the flags in heaven are flown at half-mast. When I dance, I look like a drunk swatting at a swarm of hornets. There is one thing I’ve found that I can try to do – I can attempt to help lighten the mood and soften the moment.
I was in the garden section of Home Depot to buy a shovel. There were three men standing in front of the tools section, arms crossed, all wearing that familiar male scowl that sends the silent message, ‘I’m a man, these are tools, don’t get in my space.’ I leaned forward and said, ‘Excuse me,’ then reached between two of them, lifted a shovel and said, ‘We have an anniversary coming up and I want to get something really nice for my wife.’ All three men dropped their arms, dropped their scowls and chuckled. One man said, ‘Oh, I gotta remember that.’
I left Home Depot with much more than a new shovel. Did that encounter change those men’s lives? No. Will they remember me? No. But for a moment, three guys I had never met shared a laugh with me and it was a good time that was well spent. Make something good with your time in your tiny part of the world.
Remember: you are greatly loved!
#1 – LOVE WHO YOU ARE
#2 – DON’T WAIT FOR PERFECT TO BE HAPPY
#3 – DO GOOD WITH YOUR TIME
#4 – SIMPLIFY NEEDS (next week)
–Jackie Chesnutt, Chaplain and Emotional Support Coach for Myers-Davis (11/10/2025)
