Thank you for visiting. We trust that you have enjoyed reading our articles.
Make Today Count
“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 NIV).
Time is a precious commodity. It is a gift from God, and we should be good stewards of our time as with any other gift. Certainly, the devil is interested in misuse of your time. If he can cheat you of your time, he can cheat you of your heavenly treasure. Perhaps the last thing that he is loath to let go is time. His game is to cheat you of today and the next day by whatever means necessary. For some it is procrastination – let’s do that tomorrow. For others, it may be to conjure up past mistakes and keep your focus on past problems and rob you of the joy of today and the forgiveness and grace that comes from Jesus.
Our focus must be on the present if we are to be good stewards of our time. This was the message of Paul in Hebrews 3:13, “But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,”
so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.” We should be intentional in using our time to honor God. “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” (1 Cor. 10:31).
Each day we decide whom we will serve as we are taught in Joshua 24:15. “But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.”
To make the most of your time, you must discern what’s most important. Yes, it is impossible for one person to “do it all.” God does not expect you to do everything. He does expect you to use your gifts and talents to make wise decisions that will have a meaningful impact on His kingdom. The greatest gift that God has given you is salvation by Jesus Christ. The second greatest gift you were given in life is the freedom to choose.
When you haven’t clarified what you want out of life, you’re indecisive all the time because you can’t do what’s good until you decide what’s good. You can’t do what’s important until you decide what’s important. Pray and talk to your pastor about how you can use your time to honor God. Maybe your pastor has been praying for somebody with a heart for evangelism to join the evangelism committee, and you have such a heart. When you use your time wisely, you are honoring God, and He will certainly bless your efforts.
Prayer: Dear God, We live in a world with so many distractions that take our focus away from you. Help us to honor you with all that we do. Amen.
Meet the Author
Todd Shupe is a Men’s Ministry Specialist through the General Commission of United Methodist Men and is in training to be a Certified Lay Minister through the Louisiana Conference of the United Methodist Church. He currently serves as the President of the Baton Rouge District of United Methodist Men and is a Board Member for Gulf South Men and serves on the Action Team for The Kingdom Group. He is a volunteer for the Walk to Emmaus, Grace Camp, and Iron Sharpens Iron. Todd resides in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
We welcome your comments below.
Liked this post?
Read more below or search for more topics...
-
Generosity is Proven to be Good for the Giver
Generosity is Proven to be Good for the Giver “If anyone is poor among your fellow Israelites in any of the towns of the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward them. Rather, be openhanded and freely lend them whatever they need” (Deuteronomy 15:7-8 NIV). If anyone is poor among your fellow Israelites in any of the towns of the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward them. Rather, be openhanded and freely lend them whatever they need” (Deuteronomy 15:7-8 NIV). As Christians, we know that we are called upon to be generous.... -
Seeing Without Sight
Seeing Without Sight “Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” So, they called to the blind man, “Cheer up! On your feet! He’s calling you.” Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus” (Mark 10: 49-50 NIV). I am grateful to have good vision, but yet I wonder how much I don’t see. I am often reminded of the story of the blind beggar Bartimaeus (Mark 10:46-52) who sits by the roadside hopefully calling out to Jesus to pay attention to him and heal him. Some of the people in the crowd tried to hush him up. (Probably they felt,... -
Book Review: God Knows Your Story (and He’s Not Mad!)
Book Review: God Knows Your Story (And He’s Not Mad!) by Carter Featherston “For your goodness and love pursue me all the days of my life” (Psalm 23:6 TPT).If you have never done anything wrong and do not have any regrets or shame, then this book is not for you. However, I strongly suspect that all of us have regrets and feel some sense of shame for poor choices. This is a Biblically based book that points the reader to the only true source of victory of sin and shame, Jesus. This book is valuable because it addresses a topic that all...