Using Time Wisely - part 1

My Dear Friend -

It's been a while since my last Blog posting, but life has been busy and I'm sorry to say this wasn't at the top of my priorities list as of late. But today, TODAY it is!

So, I hope you'll enjoy this entry - that it helps you appreciate and use the gift of Time more wisely - each of us have a finite number of days on this earth, and God can and will if we ask Him, help us to use it more wisely.

Before I get into my post though, I want to ask you the most critical question in reference the wise use of time . . . have you prepared for eternity?

Life is short, regardless of how many days or years we have left, preparing today for ‘today’ is good – many of us do that already. Planning ahead for tomorrow, next week, or developing a 5 Year Plan is good. But it’s done on the ‘hope’ of days to come, not the assurance that they will be.

Preparing for Eternity, well that's critical! Because that journey has already started, since before you were conceived, your days have been numbered – unbeknown to you but known to God – your time here on earth is limited. But if you plan ahead for your eternity, you can rest assured in the knowledge that ‘FOREVER’ your future is bright! You’re ready!

How? Well that’s easy and wonderful wrapped into one – accept Jesus Christ as the Lord of your life, ask Him into your heart as Lord over your life. He will go ahead and prepare a place for you in Heaven, and your eternity will be assured!

If you’d like to get more information on being ready for eternity and what it takes to invite Jesus into your heart, write me and I’ll write you back to provide you with some help or resources. If you want to do it right now, ask Him – pray – talk to God, He’s listening . . . He’s been waiting for you.

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Now, we’ve been given the gift of TIME here on earth, we should use it wisely. I hope you’ll find this series of Posts on Using Time Wisely helpful. Enjoy! =)

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Steps Towards Using Time Wisely

In today’s world there are so many distractions and things vying for our attention – Cell Phones and PDAs going off - TV, Movies, and Theaters, all sorts of entertainment opportunities – Magazines, Newspapers, and the Flash Bulletins showing us what’s happening, and flooding us with information from all over the world and from celebrities’ personal lives – The Internet with YouTube, EBay, Google and all sorts of opportunities for gathering information, entertainment, and communications we didn’t even know we were missing. It’s so tempting to be distracted by any and all of these things - to let them grab our attention and take up our time.

King David of the Bible, a wise and beloved man after God’s own heart, prays in Psalm 119:3a (TEV), “Keep me from paying attention to what is worthless”.

Consider this: Time is our most valuable resource - we can't make or earn more of it. Unlike any other resource - once it's spent, it's gone! Shouldn’t we pay attention to how we spend it?

Relaxing, researching, learning, building friendships and connections - like work related or other activities that might be seen as 'productive' - are good uses of your time, IF they are done with forethought and/or intention - in their own due, planned, or available (free) time-frame.

When we let time just 'slip away' or let it be 'taken' from us with our implied consent (in that we allow it to happen - usually without any need/benefit being fulfilled), by doing something we didn't have time for - then we've misused or misspent our time; because we have used it for something other than what it was intended. When we misuse, or misspend time we have wasted it. We have not benefited ourselves of its use - as we needed to have done. We’ve been poor stewards of our time. We face the 'temptation' to waste time everyday (See James 1:13-15 / Galatians 6:1 / Hebrews 4:15 and 2:18/ and Corinthians 10:13 for more on temptation and how we should deal with it).

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If you have a chance, please look up these verses I’ve listed on dealing with temptation. Temptation is a part of all of our lives, and we all fall prey to it at one time or another, whether it’s the temptation to waste the gift of time, or something else. But God has given us a way out – the strength we need to be victorious over all types of temptation! Read and meditate on these verses, and He will show you the answers you seek.

We’ll talk more about that in future posts, for now, know this my friend – I am praying for you, and God loves you!

It’s God, you, and me – Godunme – together we’re better!