“Give Me Just A Little More Time”
One of the more beloved songs that we sing at my home congregation is the song “Give Me Just A Little More Time”. Whenever this song is sung it seems like everyone tends to sing just a little bit louder and with a little more enthusiasm. Without a doubt, this is because of the song’s relatable message, which apparently has struck a chord in many of their hearts. It seems the overall message conveyed in the song expresses the mindset many of them have toward the coming of Christ. The chorus of the song reads like this…
Lord, give me just a little more time, Lord
Give me just a little more time
So many precious souls are lost in sin
So many may be left behind
I gotta lot of things that I need to do
Before I leave this world behind
I’m ready when you call me, Lord
But give me just a little more time
This spirited worship hymnal was written by the famous gospel music composer and publisher (member of the Lord’s Church) Albert E. Brumley. Brumley has written well over 800 songs in his lifetime; with the most notable one being “I’ll Fly Away”. However, the song under discussion is duly recognized as a well-known classic because of its lyrical content. The main idea of the song appears to be a plea to God for just a little more time in order to accomplish the duties that would lead to a favorable outcome on the Day of Judgment. Thus, the song is filled with verses like “Well I need a little time to labor for my Lord before the final judgment day…” and lyrics like “And I need a little time, to preach the Holy Word to the sinner man along life’s way”. Nevertheless, I understand that this song was written for the purpose of encouraging Christians to be actively involved in carrying out their God given responsibilities. Yet, there seems to be an issue with the overall message of this song that so many Christians seem to identify with. Is this the kind of attitude that God wants us to have toward our Christian duties? Is this kind of attitude that God wants us to have toward the coming of His Son? I firmly believe the answer to these questions are no.
The Bible teaches us that we should always be looking forward to and preparing for the coming of the Lord. We should be preparing each day by looking for opportunities to carry out and accomplish the mission that God has called us to do. I believe the idea of asking God for a little more time seems to be in total contrast to what God’s word teaches us in verses like 2Peter 3:11-12. Where Peter writes “Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God…” Peter teaches us here that Christians should be “looking for” and “hastening” the coming of the Day of God – meaning Christians are to be looking forward to the coming of Christ with eager anticipation, and in a sense, be involved in hurrying up His coming by performing the duties God has given them to do. Therefore, we should always be (because we are always prepared) looking forward to the Day of the Lord and there should be no need for us to be begging God for more time (Matt. 24:42).
So the questions I want us to ask ourselves are these: What is your attitude today toward the coming of the Lord? Do you need just a little more time? Are you confident because you’re prepared and ready to go? How do you feel about that day? If you feel you’re not ready, maybe you need to start getting ready today.
— Brother Sam Barclay
