Using Your Time For God: Day Two

Using Your Time For God: Day Two
(Psalms 89:47, Hosea 10:12, Mark 13:33)

Everyone starts each day with the exact same amount of time. The thing that separates us is how we use that time. On the days that I’m working I could probably us my time better but, for the most part, my day is scheduled in a manner that I really can’t deviate all that much from the overall plan for the day. Sure, there are pieces of it that I can swap around, and there are pieces of it that (if I feel that it would be a better use of my time) I can throw out altogether. But, all things considered, my workdays use time wisely.

Now, my days off are an entirely different story! And this is actually something that I’ve been trying to work on as of late. My typical day off is spent on my couch, relaxing. I’d like to say that I do this because I get so worn out during my days of work that I need to take the days of no work to relax and recharge. This may even be a little bit true. But there’s so much more that I could be doing.

More and more I question what I’m doing with my time and what more I could be doing. Even on my workdays, I could better use the time before or after work, but I may as well focus on the days off, when I have the most “free” time to work with. Instead of watching that TV show, couldn’t I be reading the Bible? Instead of taking that nap, couldn’t I be spending time in prayer? Why have I separated relaxing and edifying my spirit? Why can’t they be the same thing?

I don’t want to sell myself short, a lot of the time when I’m relaxing on the couch “watching TV” I am actually watching different Biblical teachings. So maybe I haven’t completely separated relaxing from edifying my spirit. But I still feel that there’s more that I could be doing. This is something that I plan on working on over the next few weeks (and probably over the course of the rest of my life). Do I use the time I have in the best way possible?

I started out by saying that we’re all given the exact same amount of time in each day; my quest is to find the best use of every minute. Maybe sometimes the best use will be to take a nap. But that’s probably not nearly as much as I’d like to think…

Remember what my lifespans is. Remember for what vanity you have created all the children of humankind.
-Psalm 89:47

God knows how long our lifespan is going to be, but we don’t. We should probably make the best of what time we have.

Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap loyal love. Break up for yourself fallow ground; it is time to seek Yahweh so He will come and rain righteousness upon you.
-Hosea 10:12

If the time that we spend is used seeking God, the time that we find in the future will be more loving and constructive. If we seek righteousness, that is what He will give us.

Watch out! Be alert, because you do not know when the time is!
-Mark 13:33

Today could be the day that your time runs out. Have you done everything you can to do the things you want to do?

Using Your Time For God: Day One

Using Your Time For God: Day One
(Ephesians 5:15-16, Psalms 31:15, 1 Corinthians 7:29)

When we’re young we go out of our way to make the most of the time we have. When I was a kid I played as hard as I could because that was what was important to me. Today’s devotional talked about how, as a young student the author’s (R.C. Sproul) favorite classes were gym and recess (mine, too) because he loved playing so much. When I was there, in that time, I would get mad if anyone tried to take me away from my play time. Even when my mom would call me in to eat, I would be mad because I was having a good time playing.

I say, now, that God is the most important thing in my life, but do I treat my time with Him with as much zeal as I used to show toward my play time? Do I rush home from work so that I can open up my Bible and see what He has in store for me? Do I spend my entire breaks in prayer so I can better learn the voice of the Father?

#relationshipgoals

Too often I spend my free time on the couch, in front of the TV. Sure, more often than not, I’m watching a teaching of some sort, but I’m not spending time with God. If anything, I’m spending time looking at Him.

It’s time to draw closer. It’s time to thirst for Living Water. It’s time to be what I’m intended to be.

Therefore, consider carefully how you live, not as unwise but as wise, making the most of the time because the days are evil.
-Ephesians 5:15-16

Am I making wise decisions? The day is evil, all the day long, so what can I do to redeem the time I spend? Can I practice showing love, even when I don’t necessarily feel it toward those around me? Too often I default to sarcasm and derision. I need to practice showing love so that it can become my default.

My times are in Your hand. Deliver me from the hand of my enemies and from those who pursue me.
-Psalm 31:15

If I can sacrifice my time to God, He can use it better than I can. I can try to run it as best as I know how, but it’s gonna be put to so much better use if I give it to God. Only God can deliver me from my enemies. If I try to deliver myself, I usually just find that I’ve walked right into their midst. So why bother wasting my time and energy, just give it to God to begin with…

But I say this, brothers: the time is shortened, that from now on even those who have wives should be as if they do not have wives
-1 Corinthians 7:29

God, and our service to Him, should be the most important thing in our life. This verse isn’t saying to ignore the vows we’ve made, but that we should honor those vows by first honoring the vow that we made with God when we gave our life to Him. Time is short, make the most of it!