"Christians, most of the time we don’t make the most of our time/
So let’s refocus on Jehovah’s design/
Yet I’m convicted/
By how much of my time's been wicked even since I’ve been Christian/
But time is ticking and life is a vapor/
So delight and then savor Christ whose our Savior"
Timothy Brindle - The Preciousness of Time
This is perhaps one of the most convicting songs I have ever heard. Time is something that is always moving, yet can never be regained. While on earth, we are bound by time - and we will be judged according to what we did with our time. Our place in eternity (which is never ending) will be affected either positively or negatively by how we use our time during our life (which we're told by James is but a vapor).
I've often struggled with procrastination, using excuses for not making the most of my time. Although the LORD has brought some major deliverance in this area, I still do struggle, using my environment, my living situation, my knowledge, my comfort level and/or my finances as an excuse not to do what I know I should be doing. Shortly before God saved me, I read a book by Bishop T.D. Jakes entitled "Maximize the Moment." Although the content of the book escapes me, the title still rings clear in my mind.
What does it mean to maximize the moment?
I'm the type of person that is always making lists. I try to be very organized, I have lists for monthly income and expenses, needs, wants, to-do lists for myself, ministry, school... they go on and on. My problem is that I spend more time writing out the lists then I actually do completing the items on the list! I find myself knowing what it is I have to do, what it is I desire to do, but then I tend to make excuses for not doing these things. Sometimes it is because certain goals are unrealistic - and although I have faith that God can and will do the impossible, I tend to get caught up in trying to do these things out of my own strength. The outcome is almost always failure, because I did not operate in Christ under the power of the anointing.
Maximizing each moment is understanding that what we do NOW is what matters. The past is gone, it has passed away into eternity, even the last few seconds since you read the previous sentence is now the past. We are told by Jesus Himself not to worry about tomorrow because today has enough trouble to deal with. I'm not saying it isn't good to be prepared for tomorrow - because we must prepare as the 5 wise virgins who stored up their oil and were ready for the bridgegroom. But we must prepare NOW and not put anything off until tomorrow. The point I'm trying to make is forget about yesterday, don't worry about tomorrow, but find out what God wants you to do NOW and do it!
"See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. " - Ephesians 5:15-17
Redeem the Time
The Bible makes mention of the necessity of redeeming the time. How is it possible to redeem the time if it has passed away? Paul said in Colossians 4:5-6 that one way of redeeming the time is to walk in wisdom towards them that are without [wisdom/Christ], making sure that our speech is seasoned with salt, full of grace, so that we would know how to answer every man. Here we see that both gaining and sharing wisdom redeems the time. The wisdom we speak should be the mystery of Christ (verse 3). Therefore evangelism is one way to redeem the time. We have been made stewards of the mysteries of the Gospel (1 Corinthians 4:1) so that we may be ministers of reconcilation (2 Corintians 5:18-19), being used of God to bring other people (those that are without) into a right relationship with God through Jesus Christ.
Paul also mentioned in Ephesians 5:17-19 (above) that wisdom is necessary to redeem the time. Not just having wisdom, but again, walking in that wisdom. In the verses prior to 17, Paul is instructing the Christians at Ephesus to avoid the works of darkness and instead walk as children of light in Christ. He told them to display the fruit of the Spirit and to have no fellowship with darkness, but rather correct those that are in darkness. Everything done in secret will be brought into the light, so we must not sleep, but arise so that Christ can give us light. Jesus has made us the light of the world, the salt of the earth, so let's redeem the time by letting our light shine before all men, that they may see our good works, and glorify our Father which is in heaven. (Matthew 5:13-16)
No comments:
Post a Comment