Submitted Article Written by Rev. Brian H. Mathis.
Well let me say it Happy New Year; 2015 had for the most part been a good year for me. Yesterday as I was doing like most people thinking about the changes that came and the possible direction the New Year would bring I was thinking about what I needed to make more time for in 2016 and as God often does he prompted my mind to think on His word and on who He really is. You see we often talk about time as if it was something we could create more of. How many of us have uttered these words, “I will make time to go; or I will make time to do.” Especially on this the first day of the New Year everyone does it it’s just how we think about time. The reality is that we cannot make time all we are able to do is manage what God created as recorded in
Genesis 1:3-5:
“And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.” (Genesis 1:3–5)
The Greek word for day; yom, has a few possible meanings but as laid out in scripture it is a period of time that begins with the dawning of the sun and ends with the following sunrise. We see this as God creates the world and all that is in it as recorded in Genesis 1. The civilian calendar marks it as a 24 hour period of time no matter how you look at it you cannot make more of a day than what God created. How we us it is another thing entirely.
So how do we approach this problem of not having enough time, we must learn to set priorities and goals. When I first went into ministry I was given a simple priority list by an individual who had been in ministry longer than I had been alive. He laid it out this way;
- God
- Family
- Church
- Job
- Everything else
Now that is a pastors list but as an individual your list should look similar except in our culture you are probably going to find that most people put job in position three and church is in four or it is in the ‘everything else’ category. My only question for you is how you will serve God if not through the local church? After all that was what it was established for. So that the body of believers could come together worship God and fellowship one with another, now how we do this is changing in our culture. However, we read in Hebrews;
“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” (Hebrews 10:24–25)
There is that word again you see the proper use of your time is a central theme throughout scripture. The writer of Psalms tells us,
“Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” (Psalm 90:12)
Paul wrote to the Colossians,
“Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity.” (Colossians 4:5)
Paul also wrote to the Ephesians,
“Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.” (Ephesians 5:15–16)
So this is not something to be taken lightly the management of your time is no different than the management of your finances and God has a lot to say about that subject to.
I challenge you today to examine what is important in your life no matter what you have in the number 3 and 4 positions be sure the first ones are God and family. I pray God blesses you in the New Year and that wisdom is your companion through it all. Have a blessed day as you walk in the light of God’s Word.
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