Written by: Miguel Figueroa (check out his YT channel)

In an episode of How I Met Your Mother, the main character, Ted, recalls a lonely night he had 45 days before he met his wife. He tells his kids that if he could go back to that night, there were plenty of other, better things he could’ve done, but there was one thing he would’ve done over everything. 

In this hypothetical retelling, Ted from the past jolts up from his seat and runs outside. He bobs and weaves through the sidewalks of Manhattan and ends up at a mysterious person’s front door. They answer, but their identity is hidden. He says they’ll meet in 45 days, but he wants to spend those extra 45 days with her. He is speaking to the woman that he will ultimately marry, the mother in How I Met Your Mother.

There was a time when I was apart from Christ; I was not in tune with Him or His ways of living. Now, as a Christian, if I could go back in time, I would want those extra, however many, days with Jesus. 

Spending time with Jesus is not just good for your future in eternity; it’s beneficial for your soul. We were made to spend time with Jesus. That is why we repent of our sin; it’s a time when we shunned a personal friend and Savior. This also explains why sharing our faith matters. Maybe we’re inviting people to spend some of their extra days with Jesus.

FIGURE IT OUT:

6 Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, 7 rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.

9 For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, 10 and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. Colossians 2:6-7, 9-10

  1. Read the passage and circle any words or phrases that stand out to you. What makes them significant?
  2. How does the author describe spending time with Jesus in this passage?
  3. What short-term and long-term promises does this passage give to you concerning spending more time with Jesus? (Example: Short-term: peace in Christ over the world. Long-term: Mastery over sin.)
  4. How does this inspire you to spend more time with Jesus?