Ephesians 5:16, “Making the best use of your time, because the times are evil.”

Time is a gift from God given to His children to steward for His glory. If there is one thing that we have all received equally, it is time. You and I have been given the same amount of time in a day, a month and year. But the question is not how much time we have, but what we do with the time we have been given.

We have two options here, time wasted or time stewarded. There millions and millions of people who let time waste away without realizing what a precious gift it is from God. Time is that one thing that we can never get back. Money comes and goes. Friends come and go. But time? Once it’s gone, it’s gone forever.

There are millions of people who are not living up to their full-potential and calling because of waste of time. Hours and hours upon social media, entertainment, self-indulgence and regret.

Recently, I read Jonathan Edwards’ 70 Resolutions. These are 70 statements that Edwards wrote that he committed to live by every day of his life. Among one of the 70 Resolutions he wrote, “Resolved, to think much on all occasions of my own dying, and of the common circumstances which attend death.” Edwards disciplined his heart and mind to think about his death every day. Why? Because when you understand that life is short, it compels you to steward every waken moment for the glory of God.

Paul says in Ephesians 5:16 that Christians ought to, ‘make the best use their time.’ Moses says in Psalm 90:12, ’teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.’ James says in James 4:14, ‘What is your life? For you are a midst that appears for a little time and then vanishes.’ And finally, our Lord and Savior Jesus says in John 9:4, ‘We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work.’

What are you doing with your time? What are you doing with your life? There is too much at stake here for you to waste your life. There are too many people that God has called you to impact and lead for the devil to get you stuck in your depression! You and I wasting our time is a disservice to our God who shed His precious blood on the Cross. Jesus died on the Cross so that we might live and live this life abundantly! O I pray that God would raise up people who will steward this precious gift of time for His glory and His name!

“Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen” ^Ephesians 3:20-21.

Here are some things you can do to helpful to be more faithful with your time.

1. What is something that you know that you are spending too much time on? Is it social media? Entertainment? Computer games? Phone phones? Video games? Youtube? Discipline yourself and either stop entirely or limit how much time you spend on it each day. Personally, I find myself wasting a lot of time on the internet and social media. Therefore, I have made it a discipline not to use the internet or any social media the first two hours I am awake and the last two hours before I sleep. No computer, no phone. 
    
2. What is one thing that you believe God wants you to do more of? Read the Bible? Spend time in prayer? Read books? Invest into certain relationships? Whatever it is, start doing it on a daily basis. 
    
3. What is one that you desire to grow in? Consistency is key. Start small but do it every day. 
    
4. What do you want to be in the future? What is your long-term goal? Whatever it is, start taking the necessary steps to grow in your gifts and calling so that you can be ready when the time comes. Don't expect yourself to become what you want to be overnight, start preparing and training yourself now!