Envision the following scenario:
An important man sits at his desk. He reaches into his pocket and flips open his watch. Then he stands and walks to the window, surveying the street below. With one final glance at his timepiece, he exits the room. He scoops up a stack of papers on his way to the front door, and as he dons his cloak he calls out to his wife, "Whereupon Mr. Fregor elects to present himself, if he makes appearance at all, apprise him that I have departed to attend to other concerns. Since he failed to arrive at the appointed hour, I shan't try to convene with him again until I possess the ample time."
Now, ask yourself: Of the two men mentioned, which one was rude? The important man? Mr. Fregor? Or both? Once you have that settled in your mind, ponder who the important man might be. Mr. Fregor is a fictional figure representing various people who sought audience with the important man. The important man, however, is a real person from history—a renowned bearer of the Word whose voice still echoes today, a hundred years after his death. You may be surprised when I disclose his identity, especially if you feel that he acted ungraciously by abandoning the wait for his visitor.
The important man is none other than Charles Haddon Spurgeon, and such was his habit. He considered punctuality to be the "politeness of kings," and unless he was hindered by some unusual circumstance, he would always commence worship or business proceedings at the exact moment planned. He expected the same conduct of his compatriots in the faith, but had observed that many ambassadors of the Lord were deficient in that virtue. He was often discommoded because people who requested interviews with him were tardy. So he contrived an amusing way to teach them a lesson and to conserve his time. If an associate did not show up according to agreement, he would allow the man a few minutes of grace, and then he would take his leave, passing along a message that he would have to reschedule their meeting at a later date.
Although I certainly do not need to defend a preacher like Charles Spurgeon, I think he had the right idea. Time is a valuable commodity and not to be spurned, nor should one's spoken promises be violated. (This principle of course also applies to project deadlines and not just business/social conferences.) When someone offers you their time (whether in hospitality, assistance, or a business venture), they aren't giving it to you unlimitedly—they are loaning it to you for your use. You do not own it, hence it should not be abused. If you have pledged to rendezvous with someone at a specific place and time, you should be there on the dot (no excuses). In the event that you are unavoidably detained, you should notify the other party immediately (which should be no hassle compared to Spurgeon's era, when cell phones and texting hadn't been invented). Lateness is an affront to a person, whereas promptness and honoring commitments displays integrity. Discourtesy is common enough among unbelievers; it should not be a prevalent misdemeanor in believers. We shouldn't be imitating the thievery of the world—stealing people's time and trust and throwing it to the wind.
Unfortunately, if Spurgeon's method were implemented in today's society, many people would be outraged. Our culture is extremely self-centered, and people suppose that they may do as they please—that their fellow man is subject to their personal whims and owes them leniency. Even some Christians have adopted this mindset, distorting it so that it sounds justifiable. They deem that they are exempt from the obligation to be punctual because they are devoted to the Lord alone and thus they should not bow to the ticking of a clock. However, if your daily activities aren't structured somehow, then you are instead enslaved to chaos, which is antithetical to God because He is a God of order. The presence of chaos in your life can inhibit you from attaining your fullest potential at serving God and can weaken the power of your witness. Charles Spurgeon had to be organized and disciplined to accomplish all that he did, such as ingesting six books per week, delivering sermons eight or more times a week, ministering to orphans, founding a seminary that trained nearly 900 students in his lifetime, and working 18-hour days (which probably also included time spent with his family). Do not be ashamed to be scrupulous; you are in good company.
An important man sits at his desk. He reaches into his pocket and flips open his watch. Then he stands and walks to the window, surveying the street below. With one final glance at his timepiece, he exits the room. He scoops up a stack of papers on his way to the front door, and as he dons his cloak he calls out to his wife, "Whereupon Mr. Fregor elects to present himself, if he makes appearance at all, apprise him that I have departed to attend to other concerns. Since he failed to arrive at the appointed hour, I shan't try to convene with him again until I possess the ample time."
Now, ask yourself: Of the two men mentioned, which one was rude? The important man? Mr. Fregor? Or both? Once you have that settled in your mind, ponder who the important man might be. Mr. Fregor is a fictional figure representing various people who sought audience with the important man. The important man, however, is a real person from history—a renowned bearer of the Word whose voice still echoes today, a hundred years after his death. You may be surprised when I disclose his identity, especially if you feel that he acted ungraciously by abandoning the wait for his visitor.
The important man is none other than Charles Haddon Spurgeon, and such was his habit. He considered punctuality to be the "politeness of kings," and unless he was hindered by some unusual circumstance, he would always commence worship or business proceedings at the exact moment planned. He expected the same conduct of his compatriots in the faith, but had observed that many ambassadors of the Lord were deficient in that virtue. He was often discommoded because people who requested interviews with him were tardy. So he contrived an amusing way to teach them a lesson and to conserve his time. If an associate did not show up according to agreement, he would allow the man a few minutes of grace, and then he would take his leave, passing along a message that he would have to reschedule their meeting at a later date.
Although I certainly do not need to defend a preacher like Charles Spurgeon, I think he had the right idea. Time is a valuable commodity and not to be spurned, nor should one's spoken promises be violated. (This principle of course also applies to project deadlines and not just business/social conferences.) When someone offers you their time (whether in hospitality, assistance, or a business venture), they aren't giving it to you unlimitedly—they are loaning it to you for your use. You do not own it, hence it should not be abused. If you have pledged to rendezvous with someone at a specific place and time, you should be there on the dot (no excuses). In the event that you are unavoidably detained, you should notify the other party immediately (which should be no hassle compared to Spurgeon's era, when cell phones and texting hadn't been invented). Lateness is an affront to a person, whereas promptness and honoring commitments displays integrity. Discourtesy is common enough among unbelievers; it should not be a prevalent misdemeanor in believers. We shouldn't be imitating the thievery of the world—stealing people's time and trust and throwing it to the wind.
Unfortunately, if Spurgeon's method were implemented in today's society, many people would be outraged. Our culture is extremely self-centered, and people suppose that they may do as they please—that their fellow man is subject to their personal whims and owes them leniency. Even some Christians have adopted this mindset, distorting it so that it sounds justifiable. They deem that they are exempt from the obligation to be punctual because they are devoted to the Lord alone and thus they should not bow to the ticking of a clock. However, if your daily activities aren't structured somehow, then you are instead enslaved to chaos, which is antithetical to God because He is a God of order. The presence of chaos in your life can inhibit you from attaining your fullest potential at serving God and can weaken the power of your witness. Charles Spurgeon had to be organized and disciplined to accomplish all that he did, such as ingesting six books per week, delivering sermons eight or more times a week, ministering to orphans, founding a seminary that trained nearly 900 students in his lifetime, and working 18-hour days (which probably also included time spent with his family). Do not be ashamed to be scrupulous; you are in good company.
"Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 2:3–5)
Learn more about Charles Spurgeon from The Spurgeon Archive, compiled by Phil Johnson.
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