Using Our Time Wisely
0 Amens
I guess we all have very busy lives, yet we often want to try and squeeze in one more thing. We are full of good intentions, but we never seem to have the time to do them all well.
In fact time rules everything. What’s the first thing you do in the morning? – look at the clock and check the time. From then on we live under the shadow of the clock. At school, the day is divided into time sections. Here at church we mustn’t go over time. All our meetings must keep to time. Such is the value we put on time
In the past we dated our letters, now we both date and clock the time on our emails. In the past we dropped in to see people – now we book an appointment. Have we become slaves to time?
The parallel verse in Col 4:5, P. 834 is in the context of gospel conversations; its about seizing opportunities for the gospel when they arise, and knowing where you will go with them. Our real problem is not that we idle our time in front of TV, but that we fear people - fear what they might say, whether they will reject us. I know cos I too am really reluctant to pick up the phone and ask. Paul asks to be bold, in Col 4:4; this means if we want to chat we must MAKE time. And people don’t easily rush into spiritual conversations. Openings have to be made; chewing the cud at football or rugby may be necessary, or talking TV and politics might be essential before getting on to the gospel.
The word for time here is not the one for years and days – but the one for the moment, the opportunity, the crisis. This is not a call to fill our days with activity, but to live in an appropriate way in the days of now; the days when the new age of God’s rule is breaking into the darkness of today. We are to consider WHAT we do, not necessarily HOW MUCH we do.
Sort out priorities
If you follow Eph along, you’ll see that we are to stay sober, we are to keep being filled with the Holy Spirit, we are to sing God’s word to each other, and to submit to one another. If you don’t have time to sing God’s praise in the company of other believers, then you are not redeeming the time.
Richard Baxter; 16th C Puritan: Spend your time in nothing which you know must be repented of; in nothing which you might not pray for the blessing of God; in nothing on which you could not review with a quiet conscience on your death bed.
Good time management is not about squeezing more into life, but making sure that what you do is important for you. It’s about putting first things first
First things first
Jesus said Seek FIRST God’s kingdom; be gospel centred. He knew how to plan his life so that he could tell his Father: I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. John 17:4
Paul said: from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ Rom 15:9
They knew they had completed what God asked of them; they had used their time wisely for his kingdom. Think how many people don’t hear the gospel, or aren’t near a gospel church cos we haven’t planted one. Yet Paul and Jesus didn’t rejoice that specific tasks were all ticked off, but that they had used their lives well and faithfully; they had stuck at their roles; they were faithful to their calling.
When Jesus died; it may well have looked at a life cut short, but as he bowed his head for the last time, he said one word: Finished= completed = done. He was faithful to the end.
Is your day successful if you have ticked off all the tasks on the To Do list, or if you have used your time well?
Someone commented that Jesus did not finish all the urgent tasks in Palestine, nor all the things he would have liked to do. But he did finish the work God gave him to do. We can do that too. We each have different roles and giftings - one sows another reaps. Its how we use what we’re given that’s key.Have we put the kingdom of God first? Do we live with gospel priorities?
First things first in practice
As we grow up, I think that the general patterns we adopt go like this:
We have a particular lifestyle we like; often determined by our job. In reality we do not often choose our lifestyle, rather we mimic the world around us; we adapt to the lifestyle of our friends and colleagues
Lifestyle Job Home Church Service
Once we are in a job and we start doing well, we move; we need a garden for the children, we’d like to live where the schools are good and crime is low. We find a nice home and then we start looking round for a church which is to our liking. At that point we see what’s going, and where we could fit in – what kind of ministry we could serve in.
It’s not always like that – but that’s my observation for probably most of us. You see where we place church and ministry? I wonder how many of us looked for church first and found one where we could SERVE, before looking at one which satisfied our needs?.
Jesus says that we should think differently. Work out your kingdom values, and use them to decide on all others
2nd Key verse: Do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well. Luke 12:29f
Rather than be moulded by the lifestyle around us or what we aspire to, why not start with the ministries God has given us, then look for our church fellowship, then a home, then a job. And lastly decide what lifestyle we want.
– What do I enjoy doing?
– Who do I want to serve?– What needs are there for me to met?
– What opportunities are there for service?– With whom can I work?
That would certainly be a different way to go about things? You will discover that rather than finding you don’t have enough time for meeting and serving with God’s people you are now in charge of your time.
Time for myself
Most of us need time for ourselves; some are extroverts and are energized by being with people. Others are introverts, and need time alone to recharge. But there is a difference between time alone and time for self. We all need time to be alone, but we are placed on earth to work in community, and to serve. So although we balance work and rest; we are not called to balance service and self-indulgence. All of life is to be given for God’s glory and used in his service.
Time for my family
Here is another tension: church and family. Both often get squeezed out with job. And the excuse for a good job – with long hours – is that we’re supporting our family!! Did you know that our true values often come to light when we articulate what we want for our children?
This is why it is crucial to sort out our priorities and do so as early as we can. A shift later in life is possible, but its often painful, especially for our children.
Time management courses are all well and good, but they only deal with being more efficient; the root issue is our priorities and values. In order to use the time God has given wisely; we must prioritise – Jesus did: Mk 1:35-39. He knew why he had come. He knew his purpose – to teach rather than heal. Have you ever set out your priorities, starting with your "areas of service for God" ?
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Prayer: Heavenly Father, many of us have got our time out of sorts, and we would like to think again, but we are not sure where to start. Please help us today – not merely to tinker around and grab a few more tasks to add to our already burdensome list, but to make some lifestyle changes that would help us to have higher gospel priorities.
We thank you for the way the lord Jesus and the Apostle Paul are such a help to us in this. Make us more Christ and gospel-centred we pray, so that we may finish the race you’ve set before us, knowing that we have been faithful to you in the 24 hours you give us each day. We pray this for the greater pleasure of pleasing you most gracious Father, Amen
Time like an ever-rolling steam, bears all its sons away;
they fly forgotten, as a dream, dies at the opening day.
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