To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
DAILY READING Matthew 15:1-20; Leviticus 24-25; Ecclesiastes 1:1-11
The Chinese inventors of the first clocks, in an early way of measuring time demonstrated how time could be lost irrecoverably. They would dangle a rope from the rafters with knots representing hours; they would then light a flame at the bottom which would burn evenly indicating the duration of time being lost. This showed that once time was gone, it could never be recaptured. The Bible talks about redeeming the time, using every time effectively to further the Gospel.
We must realize that we are truly living in the last days, and it has become crucial that we do the most we can with the little time left. A day is coming when we all will stand before the judgment throne of God and give account of how we spent our time on earth.
We must spend time with eternity in mind. Someone said ‘live everyday as if it is your last because one day you will be right.’ That is so true! Living everyday as our last places an urgency on our use of time. When we realize that we don’t have forever, it helps us to focus on what matters most and not waste time on frivolities.
We must use our time judiciously, constantly focusing on what God has called us to do. As believers, our priority is spreading the Gospel. The salvation of our souls and what we do now for the Kingdom of God is what will matter most in eternity. It is not about running around, it is about doing what God has called us to do. Don’t mistake activity for productivity. Always ask yourself, ‘what is the eternal value of what I am doing now? How is it impacting the Kingdom of God?’ If it is a question you cannot easily answer, then do a rethink.
Spend time effectively on what matters most. Eternity is counting. Time is fast running out on earth. You may delay, but time won’t. The clock is always ticking, the hours are always silently going by, many times unnoticed, even as the past increases and future possibilities recede. Unlike the wind, time cannot be felt. Unlike the sun, it cannot be seen; yet, of all nature’s forces, time has the most profound effect. If we don’t use it well, we end life in regret. Someone once said, ‘run the day or the day will run you.’ So let us do what we can while we can.
Our time on earth is limited; therefore we must learn to use it well. The Bible tells us there is time for everything. We must apportion our time rightly, so that we don’t waste time on things of no eternal value.
We must learn to invest time in what matters most and top on the priority of our time investment is our relationship with God which is the very bedrock of our existence. Time spent with God helps us to focus rightly on the necessary things that need to be done. It is while in God’s presence that we receive specific instructions on what to do, so that we can move with precision to execute them. Spending time with God is so important because if we don’t hear His instructions, we cannot know what to do. It is His instructions that lead out of destructions.
One of the greatest enemies of time is procrastination. Procrastination is putting off till tomorrow what you can do today. It is an unwillingness to embrace the urgency of time. Procrastination is evident in many Christians mainly in the area of evangelism. We know we are to share the Gospel with certain people, but we keep putting it off; but then, what if the person dies before we finally get round to telling him or her about Jesus? Paul said we should preach the Gospel in season and out of season. That means we are to keep sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ every day. We shouldn’t procrastinate about the souls of men.
The end of time is fast approaching; therefore let us make good use of our time on earth now, so that in the end, we can give a good account to God.
PRAYER: Lord, please help me to stop wasting time and begin to make good use of my time. Help me to focus on what matters, and not on frivolities. Let preaching Your Word be top priority for me in Jesus’ name.
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For you to enjoy victory in the Kingdom of God, you need to develop a Kingdom mindset that thinks in line with the Word of God. – WORDBITE 222.
[ADAPTED FROM THE BOOK FAITH CLASSICS]