Saturday, December 21, 2019

Time..How We Value It's Worth




Ephesians 5:15-16  " Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise,  making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil."


           Today's blog is about time and how we use it, spend it and waste it.   How often I hear from people in my own circle of life, that there isn't enough time for Jesus in a person's life in all different ways.  Although, there are countless hours for Facebook, television, drive-time radio, and partying.  Do you realize God is waiting for a moment of your time to lead, encourage, and bless you and your life?  "The way we use our time reveals what we really believe to be important in life. The Lord Jesus Christ spent time alone with God the Father, no matter how packed His schedule." [intouch.org]  Is your schedule busier and/or more important than Jesus'?  

           How we live comes from who we are, as we cling to the living hope found in Jesus alone, and there we will find strength to persevere.  For the believer, success can be defined as the ability to find the will of God for your life . . . and then doing it!  Success begins with wisdom and the fear of the Lord is where wisdom begins.  When we use our time to seek and know the Lord, we can build our foundation upon him and stand firm in all we do.

        Psalm 74:16  "The day is yours, and yours also the night; you established the sun and moon."
       "He is the Lord of time, and will be so, till day and night shall come to an end, and the stream of time be swallowed up in the ocean of eternity. Let us acknowledge God in the constant succession of day and night, and consecrate both to his honor, by working for him every day and resting in him every night, and meditating in his law day and night." {M. Henry]

           Psalm 106:43  "Many times he delivered them, but they were bent on rebellion and they wasted away in their sin."
          Just as the Israelites, we have all been at a point of rebellion towards God in our lives.  We have tried to run our lives on our own terms and ways, but we lead ourselves into trouble with that way of thinking and living.  Thankfully, God is full of mercy, truth and power and 'His will' will be done, despite us.  "God can change lions into lambs, and, when a man’s ways please the Lord, will make even his enemies to pity him and be at peace with him. When God pities men shall. Tranquillus Deus tranquillat omnia—A God at peace with us makes every thing at peace."  [M. Henry]


          Psalm 119:20 "My soul is consumed with longing for your laws at all times."
          Just as David had prayed that God would open his eyes and the law to him, in this verse, he prays for the desire to know God and his mercy.  This is how we should spend our time and reap the everlasting benefits from it.  Also, spend your children's time in ways of teaching them about God and his ways.  If you don't teach your children to love God, the world will teach them not to.  "If you want to be heard, don't follow the herd."

         "In everyone’s life, there tends to be one central issue around which all else revolves. Perhaps it is family, financial security, or a career. In a believer’s life, however, the first priority should be to seek God’s kingdom and righteousness (Matt. 6:33). People sometimes say, “I’ve made Jesus a part of my life,” but that is not enough. Jesus is life for His followers. Without Him, the believer’s life has no purpose or meaning. Seeking God’s will requires perseverance. Rather than simply taking life as it comes and reacting to each situation, we must make our decisions according to the principles of Scripture. Therefore, to seek God’s kingdom and righteousness means we make the pursuit of Christlikeness our primary goal."  [intouch.org]

        "God isn’t subject to time. Because he created time, he operates outside of time. He uses time to test your faith and to build your character. While you’re working on your goal, God is working on you. And God’s much more interested in you than in what you’re trying to accomplish, because you’re not taking your accomplishments to heaven. You’re only taking your character."  [R. Warren]

         As for myself, I see times in my life where God wasn't my top priority.  I, also, see those times as trouble-some and in need of more than I could give myself.  Now, more than anytime in my life, God is my top-priority, always on my mind and my leader in all decisions.  My life goal is to lead and encourage others to use their time in God-invested ways.

The time we have to do God’s work is limited, so we must use it wisely.