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.”

I remember an old clock that sat on the mantle of the fireplace in my home. If one were near, you could watch the hands methodically move with a low hum of tick tock, tick tock in the background as this measurement of time did its thing. Stop now and listen. Do you hear it? Do I? It is there. It is always there. It is the tick tock, tick tock of the “clock” of our lives slowly and surely marching onward. Each tick tock of seconds gives way to minutes which gives way to hours turned into days, weeks, months, and culminates in one life lived. And someday, the sound of the “clock” of our lives will end either by death or the coming of the Lord Jesus. Such awareness makes today’s scripture extremely relevant and personal. Such awareness also should cause some serious reflection on the Apostle Paul’s exhortation in the scripture–are we making the best use of our time? In answering that question, here are two things to consider.

First, understand time knows no master. The tick tock, tick tock of the “clock” of our lives waits for no one. We cannot stop or rewind it. Time marches to its own drummer and all we may do with our time is one of two things–use it wisely or waste it fully. And toward the latter? One of the easiest and most tolerated sins in the lives of Christians, which is disastrous when it comes to wise use of time, is procrastination. Believer, don’t put off spiritual duties, privileges and responsibilities to a not promised tomorrow. The only time in our “life clocks” is now. Today. It is the height of foolishness and presumption to put off what we know to do to today to a not promised tomorrow.

Another help in answering the question implied by the Apostle Paul–are we making the best use of our time?–is to think about the Day of Judgment before the Lord Jesus. Scripture makes it clear that day is coming for all people, and that includes Christians – So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil(2 Corinthians 5:9-10). Please don’t think this text only applies to leaders in a church or apostles and that believers will not be judged by the Lord Jesus. The use of the pronoun “we” by Paul dismisses this thought immediately. He is writing to a church–leaders and believers–in Corinth. The “we” includes Paul and everyone else. This judgment will be for our works after conversion and not for our sins. But to have works to be judged, we must have invested the time to do the works! Are we? Are we making decisions on the use of time knowing its use will produce works that will pass Christ’s judgment or will be tossed out as worthless? Always remember, the quality of our judgment before the Lord Jesus is entirely up to us and will largely be determined by the wise or foolish use of our time.

So, do you hear it? Do I? It is the steady hum of “tick tock, tick tock” from the “clocks” of our lives. May the Lord help us to use the seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, and years He gives us in a wise manner for His glory and our good.

PRAYER: “Father, help me not to squander the precious gift of time knowing it cannot be re-used.”

QUOTE: “Apart from your salvation, the greatest gift God gave you is time. Don’t waste it on the world.”

Because of Him,

Pastor Jim