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I Corinthians 2:2 is a beautiful verse. It shows the dedication of Paul, and what it really means to be a missionary.

Paul says, "For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified."

He decided that he wasn't going to take any substitutes for Jesus, (false doctrine, bloodless gospels etc etc....) nor was he going to occupy his time with anything other than Christ Jesus.

How much time do I waste thinking about things other than Christ? How often do I slightly alter what the Bible really says in order to make myself feel OK about my sin? How often should I be spreading the word of God, and instead talk about something else?

Paul is one of my favourite Bible characters. I mean, despite the fact that he wasn't good looking, a good speaker, married, and had a thorn in the flesh (we see all this in scripture) he still managed to get the gospel to all of Asia Minor (which I've researched to be about 9million people. I might be wrong, though).

He said, "Hey, guys, forget all those cool toys we have. Forget what we want to do. Forget our sin and flesh. Let's go tell the world the good news of Christ Jesus."

Not many decided to follow him.

"Fine! You guys go waste your life. I'm going to go spread the news of Jesus Christ!"

He didn't waste time on stupid things, much as I do today.

It's funny how I can remember lyrics to a worldly song I haven't listened to in years, but I struggle to remember the scriptures. It's funny how I update my facebook status more than my spiritual status. It's funny how I'm a Christian, yet I don't spend enough time with Christ.

God has grabbed a hold of my heart lately, and is really opening my eyes to all the stuff that I need to change in my life. I'm not complaining, because I'll stay a lukewarm Christian if my eyes aren't open.

The other night, God was doing something in my heart. I blogged about it. I literally could NOT focus on anything. Nothing. I couldn't sleep, eat, drink, nothing.

I went for a drive, and just spent a few hours talking to God.

"God, I can feel that you're doing something here, but I can't quite determine what it is. You're saying something to me, but all I can hear is noise! I want to do what you're saying, God, but I can't understand it!"

I spent almost three hours like that, both driving and walking around all of the city of Frederick, MD. In that time, God really showed me some things.

The most haunting, most powerful thing of them all, though, was North Market Street. I didn't mean to end up there; I just did.

North Market Street is the heart and soul of downtown Frederick. Everything's on that street.

That would include Café Nola. I used to go there once a month, on the first Friday of every month. The café was changed from café to club that night, and all kinds of evil actions took place.

I can't count how many times I've staggered out of there, having to have someone hold me up, and lead me back to a car so I could be driven home. Shame on me.

I realized, as I drove past the establishment, that I had wasted tons of time there. Ages. Eons! Assuming I went ever month, for a year (even though I'm sure I went more than that) from 10pm to 2am (which was my usual schedule) I wasted AT LEAST 48 hours dancing like a drunken idiot.

Two whole days spent. Gone. Never to come back. I wasted two whole days of my life (and that's just time in there, not driving there and back) because I was knowing other things.

I was knowing the world.
I was knowing sin.
I was knowing why the Bible says wine is a mocker.
And I wasted my life away by knowing them.

I don't walk that road any more, praise the Lord, but I still waste time. Only now, I'm not as aware of it, because it isn't as obvious

I'll get up in the morning, and maybe I'll hit my snooze button a few times. 20 minutes I could be spending in God's word, or in prayer, and I'm sleeping in.

I'll sit down to read a book, or type up a blog, and waste an hour looking up soccer scores or on facebook.

I'll start with good intentions, and waste them away without even realizing it.

God was telling me, as I spent time in Maryland, and still even today, that there is no time to waste. My life is even as a vapour (James 4:14).

There is a world, on its way to hell, and I want to sleep in, or check out what someone wrote on his or her facebook status. I'm too busy checking scores of some game to be spending time with God.

For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.
I need to change the things I know.