Pay careful attention then, to how you walk-not as unwise people but as wise-making the most of the time, because the days are evil. So don’t be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. Ephesians 5:15-17 HCSB
There are two things that we never seem to be able to get enough of-time and money. If we don’t learn to manage both wisely then it will always seems as there is never enough of either. God wants us to have balance in our lives. But often times we don’t use our time wisely. How many times have you thought that there just aren’t enough hours in the day. Well, actually, we are wrong. God designed time and he gives us just what we need. So, obviously we need 24 hours. Now, ideally the day was designed to have perfect balance. We should have 8 hours for work, 8 hours for downtime and 8 hours for sleeping, but for many of us that is not the case. Many jobs require twelve hour shifts so it cuts into your downtime for 2-3 days, but then you have 2-3 days off. But having worked this schedule myself and seeing my husband work it now, I have learned that especially when you work 3-12 hour days you are tired and may spend the first day off resting. Now I have relatives who work jobs where for several months at a time they are required to work 7-12 hour days. My nephews sometimes work where they work 14 day stretches with only one day off in between. So, you see our society has really become unbalanced when it comes to work schedules. Our jobs don’t always allow us to balance our day the way God intended, but what does scripture say about how we manage our time?
Our scripture passage begins by telling us to walk as wise men. How we walk is very important. Studies have shown that predators sometimes choose their victims by the way they walk. Those who do not walk with strength and confidence are considered to be easier prey. So we are instructed in our scripture passage to walk wisely. We walk wisely when we walk with the Lord. We are told in Proverbs 16:9 that a man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord determines his steps. As Christians, how we walk will make the difference as to whether we are dubbed as a hypocrite or a true child of God. So be very careful about how you walk.
Whether you are at work or relaxing, we are told to make the most of our time. We are told when we work that we are to work as though we are working for the Lord (Colossians 3:23). Now if you were working for the Lord, you would want to do your best, right? You would want to give it all you have and not slack off. While you may have a supervisor who has done nothing to earn your respect, you need to let them and all of your other co-workers know who your true supervisor is. So, manage your time wisely. Budget your time just as you would your money and trust in God to assist you with both.
Our scripture passage tells us to make the most of our time because the days are evil. We know there is evil all around us and if we have too much free time on our hands chances are we will be drawn into it. You have probably heard the old English proverb that says that idle hands are the devil’s workshop. While this is not found in the bible, 1 Timothy 5:13 says Besides that, they learn to be idlers, going about from house to house, and not only idlers but gossips and busybodies, saying what they should not. In this scripture passage Timothy warns that while they should provide for older widows that may no longer be able to work, that younger widows who can work should do so, lest they have too much time on their hands and engage in inappropriate behavior such as gossiping and getting into the business of others. Sound familiar? Perhaps you know someone who has too much time on their hands and uses it doing things that the bible tells us not to do.
Our scripture passage tells us not to be foolish, but to understand what the will of the Lord is. If you get nothing else from our scripture passage today understand this-God knows what our future holds. He knows what is gong to happen to you in the next second and twenty years from now. He has good plans for you and wants you to do well (Jeremiah 29:11). But in order for you to do well, you must manage your time wisely. If you are not attending church, make time to go. Hebrews 10:25 tells us very plainly that we should not stay away from worship meetings-that’s church. If you are in church, know that God has put you in that church for a reason. You are not put there to sit and be church décor, God matched you up with your church so that you can put your God-given talents to use. Don’t sit there like a bump on a log when workers are needed. Don’t just soak up all your church has to offer, be willing to give a little. Just sayin’.
Matthew 6:33 tells us that if we put God first that He will take care of everything else. Taking care of my mom who has dementia is challenging at times, but God has blessed me with wonderful sitters so that I can continue the work that He has called me to do. He will help you manage your time as well if you are willing to just give it all to Him. So get off the merry-go-round. Stop chasing your tail. Matthew 11:28-30 tells us that we can come to God when we are weary and He will give us rest. He wants us to have balance not weariness. Turn to Him today and trust Him to help you manage your time wisely. God wants us to have time for work, pleasure and rest. So first make time for Him and He will take care of the rest.
Have a great day!