EPHESIANS 5:15-16 – Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.

THEME OF THE DAY. THE MISUNDERSTANDING ABOUT TIME. Perhaps the most used and yet inaccurate two words in our fast-paced culture and lives are “Time Management.” There are many books claiming to teach us how to manage time. Seminars exist to motivate us to better time management. But think about it, we cannot manage time. Time is no one’s servant. It cannot be managed. It can only be used and that wisely. Time stops for no one. Time shows no mercy. It continues to march to its own beat. All we can do with time is heed the words of the Apostle Paul in today’s scripture, “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise, but wise, making the best use of time for the days are evil”. And a strong motivator on our use of time is the Day of Judgment. When we stand before Jesus, and all of us will, we will be thoroughly judged for what we did, which means the use of our time, and why we did it, which means the motive behind the use of our time. So what are some ways of thinking that will help us be good users of our time for now and eternity.

First, think long, hard, even daily, of the brevity of life. The Apostle James writes, “Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit’— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.’ As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin” (James 4:13-17). Beloved, one of the most foolish and unwise things a Christian may do is to put off known spiritual responsibilities and obedience to God’s Word to a not promised tomorrow. We will go a long way in using time wisely for now and eternity if we remember all we have for life and service is today. Don’t let the devil, the world, and the flesh cause us to fall to one of the greatest tactics used against Christian – the sin of procrastination in the misuse of time.

Another thing to do to help us use time wisely is orient our thinking and living on the Second Coming of Jesus. Consider this, if we knew Jesus was coming next Tuesday at 8:00 a.m. in the morning, would our lives change from now till then? Would we change some priorities from worldly to eternal? Would we be more aggressive in our obedience to the Gospel? I hope nothing would change in my life or yours for Jesus constantly tells us to “Be on guard, watch for His return”. Here is just one sample from Him . . . “But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap. For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth. But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man” (Luke 21:34-36). Start thinking that maybe today the Lord will come back or we will meet Him, and watch how our time will reflect eternal priorities in everything we do – parenting, marriages, friendships, commitment to church, on the job and everything else in life.

So, as we live our lives, let’s ask the Lord to help us use our time wisely. Apart from Himself, it is the greatest resource we have been given to use for His glory and our eternal good.

PRAYER: “Father, help me to make the best use of the most important thing you give me in life – my time.”

QUOTE: “Time is no person’s slave. It cannot be managed but it can be used. Choose wisely on its use”