Managing the Gift of Time

Ephesians 5:15-17 (AMP) “Look carefully then how you walk! Live purposefully and worthily and accurately, not as the unwise and witless, but as wise (sensible, intelligent people), 16 Making the very most of the time [buying up each opportunity], because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be vague and thoughtless and foolish, but understanding and firmly grasping what the will of the Lord is.”

Parents, have you ever given your children money and they squander it quickly on frivolous things? How did it make you feel? Of course you did not expect them to invest it in stocks and bonds, but you also did not expect it to go away so quickly. The key to managing money is stewarding value. It is not just about how much something costs; it is about the value it brings.

Time is a gift. Though we do not always treat it as that, God gave us time. But it is up to us to steward it wisely. We do not always use it correctly. We spend it on actions that do not produce fruit like spending hours on social media, allowing the commentary of others to infiltrate our decisions, causing us to get upset, or comparing ourselves to others. And we somehow convinced ourselves that we are too busy to pray though we have time to invest junk in our souls.

In the Scripture above, foolish people live life with no aim, no target, no goal. They live as though there is no life after this. But wise people live intentionally. They live purposefully by asking God what His will for their lives is, and they build their plans and schedules around His will.  
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How are you investing your time? Do you invest daily meaningful prayer time with your Father? Have you spent years being upset, holding grudges, and waiting for people to apologize when there is a possibility you may not get it? Jesus is soon to return. Let us ask the Holy Spirit to help us live this gift of time purposefully so we can firmly grasp what the will of the Lord is. ​