USING TIME WISELY

One of the mysteries of life is found in the arena of time.  Why is it that the younger we are, the slower time seems to pass, and the older we are, the faster it seems to pass?   I have been told that it is because of comparison.  For a six-year-old waiting for Christmas in June, he is told that it is only six months away.  Realize that he has only been alive for 72 months.  Six months is nearly one-tenth of his life.  For the 72-year-old, six months is less than one percent of their life.  People see time in comparison to how long they’ve lived, thus six months goes by like a snail for a six-year-old and like a rocket for someone who is 72. 

Ephesians 5:15-17 tells us, "See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as WISE, REDEEMING THE TIME, BECAUSE THE DAYS ARE EVIL."  Therefore, do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

We are told to “see that we walk circumspectly in this passage.  This word is from the root word from which “circumference” and “circle” are derived.  This tells us that walking circumspectly is to live in a way that we are aware of our surroundings.  We are aware of every aspect of our lives.  An example of the danger in not living this way is found by looking at the person who has it all together in almost every area of their life, yet their teeth are rotting out due to neglect. 

HERE ARE SOME THINGS TO CONSIDER CONCERNING TIME:

1)     YOU CAN CONTROL YOUR TIME

When we say that we have no control over our time, we are basically saying that we have no control over our lives.  Controlling our time begins with starting each day fully aware that we are, first and foremost, a child of God.  Being aware of this means that we acknowledge that God has a plan for our lives and that it will only be realized when we keep Him first.  When we keep God first, He is able to direct us on what to focus on and what is worthwhile to spend time on and what is “wood, hay, and stubble”.

2)     OUR PURPOSE IS CONNECTED TO TIME

Ecclesiastes 3:1 says, "To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven." 

The will of God is connected with His purposes.  Ephesians 5 spoke of ‘redeeming the time”.  This means that we are to see opportunities and then seize upon them if God directs.  There have been many instances in my life in which I made a key decision at the right time, which led to breakthroughs, miracles, provision, and blessings. 

3)     THERE IS OUR TIME AND GOD’S TIME

When we function in God’s time, we can make the most of the opportunities He gives us.  We can walk with God and enjoy the benefits that come by His timing.  Ecclesiastes 3:11 tells us that God makes all things beautiful in His time.    I have observed that those who put God first in their lives tend to be in the right place at the right time and with the right people….time and time again.   This is because “the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord”.  (Psalm 37:23)

We are told in Ecclesiastes that we need God’s intervention as we pass through life.  "I returned and saw under the sun that- the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to men of understanding, nor favor to men of skill; but time and chance happen to them all." (9:11)  It is God who is the master of time and chance.  This is because He is the omnipotent, sovereign, omnipresent, All-knowing, all-powerful, Wonderful God!

The book of Ruth includes the word “happened” again and again.  It is a great testimony of how God can take an obscure woman and put her in the right place at the right time again and again to bring about a wonderful destiny.  A destiny that not only includes her becoming wealthy, successful, grateful, and full of joy but also results in her being found in the very lineage of Jesus Christ. 

Part of living intentionally includes living in the belief and awareness that God will manifest Himself in our time and schedule if we simply ask, believe, and expect it.   It is dangerous to adopt the Doris Day syndrome of “Que Sera, Sera, whatever will be, will be”.  With God’s help and wisdom, we can control our time and use it wisely.  We can acknowledge that our time is also God’s time.