'You know you're only king for a day;
it doesn't matter to which god you pray;
precious time is slipping away'.

I felt so sad when I concentrated on the words, and feel sad when I think of the person who wrote them. I may be wrong but I feel that this person has no knowledge of a God who loves him, who died for him. This songwriter encourages us to make the use of each day, doing whatever we want to make us happy.

Another song which was played recently, which I had definitely never heard before, was called, 'He got what he wanted, but he lost what he had!'. The presenter suggested that it was written with Elvis in mind. Elvis was known as 'The King' but in the process of becoming 'the King' he gave his life over to the excesses of alcohol and wild living, which resulted in an early death. It was said that he possessed a deep faith but, in his determination to be 'the King', it would appear that he lost his way in his walk with God. In gaining what he thought was important, he lost sight of the most important thing of all - his relationship with God.

In recent times, singer Brittany Spiers has lost custody of her two children due to drugs. She got what she wanted but lost what she had.

On the first Saturday in May each year, here in Knutsford we celebrate our annual Royal May Day. The preparations for this event go on for months - in fact, almost from the time of each previous May Day. The May Queen has to be chosen, along with the Crown Bearer, the Maids of Honour and all the other members of the Court. The Court is the focal point of the procession. Then there are the 600+ children, dressed up in various costumes, who precede the Queen in the procession. Without these children, May Day would be nothing; just imagine the May Queen without all her 'subjects'. Each child will play his/her part, whether riding in a carriage or walking.

God commands in Exodus 20 v3 that we should have no God before Him in any shape or form. Many people, in searching for things which they feel will bring them fulfilment and true happiness, lose the most important possession they can ever have. The positions we hold in life, and the things we gather around us to give us a feeling of security - namely, the 'gods' which we make - only last 'for a day'. The gift which God offers to us lasts a lifetime - an eternal lifetime.

We have a God who is ever faithful; a God who gives us complete security. There may be jobs we do in our church or in the community which may serve to give us a sense of security but all jobs, whether behind the scenes or 'centre stage', are important roles. The managing director wouldn't be able to carry out his job if it wasn't for the lowly secretary!

Each task we carry out must be to the glory of God and not because it makes us feel important, not because it makes us 'king for a day'. Just after Easter, Peter and I attended the ECG Conference in Llandudno. One speaker, Roy Crowne (Director of Youth for Christ), told us of a particular occasion many years ago when he felt that God was calling him to lead a mission - something which would take a lot of planning and incur great expense. He announced this to his companions, one of whom asked, "What will I do?" Roy answered that this person's task would be to do 'the rowing'. While Roy was leading the mission, many others would be needed to carry out the administration. Not everyone has been called to lead missions, to lead a Church but we can all take our part in the 'rowing', giving support to our leaders, ordained or otherwise.

The songwriter is correct though. Precious time is slipping away. 2 Peter 3 v10 reminds us that 'the day of the Lord will come like a thief'. Precious time is slipping away and, in the time which is left to us, we must make sure that we are worshipping the one true God. The God who, for our sakes, became man and died for our sins on the cross. The God who we must worship and adore for all He did for us. The God of whom we must tell others.