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Have you thought much about time? The 24 hours, the 1,440 minutes of your each and every day? Didn’t it seem that time couldn’t go fast enough for the next milestone you were anticipating during the years of youth?
But, I am sure you, like me, now find that time has accelerated to warp speed. I feel like it’s whizzing by so fast that I’m breathless and wrung out, just trying to hold on to all that’s taking place around me. You always want to be sure you're making your time count.
Now, obviously, all this talk of time slowing down or speeding up is only a perception. There are principles regarding the reality of time that I’ve come to realize over the years:
Time is a perishable commodity. And with this commodity, you have only two choices. You can let it slip through your fingers, wasting it. Or there is the Bible’s option: You can redeem it.
This idea of redeeming time is found in Ephesians 5:15-16: “See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.” Friend, in these few verses, we are exposed to the ultimate wisdom needed to use our time for the most significant purpose and impact:
Paul warns believers to “See then that you walk circumspectly” (verse 15). The word “circumspectly” is not familiar to most vocabularies, and it basically means being careful, calculated, or, as the verse says, “wise.” The secret of making the most of each day is to train yourself to have foresight about what’s ahead or around the next corner. This kind of preparation will help steer your choices throughout your day and enable you to use your time for profitable results.
Paul tells us to think and act “not as fools.” A foolish woman takes off in all directions at once. She has no plan. She hasn’t thought about the day, about how God wants her to live out His will.
So, she doesn’t make the most of her time. She squanders it, kills it, and has little of value to show for her day. It’s a good idea to pray each morning, “Lord, I don’t want to be a fool today. Help me to remember how important my time is today.”
God even supplies the basis for redeeming your time. He says it’s necessary to do this because “the days are evil.” You are to walk wisely and with care because of the evil days we live in. Many are living in sin, and the time is short. So God wants you to make full use of your time to serve as many as possible and warn others.
Important things take time, and when you misuse time through lost opportunities, that time can never be regained; those golden minutes with their golden opportunities are gone forever. We must take steps to increase Godly wisdom. For that, God is cautioning you to pray, “Oh, Lord! Please help me to use my time wisely — just for today.” Then pray this again every day!
God, how many times have I had to suffer the negative consequences of foolish, rushed choices? I know You are always available to help me, and yet I fail to seek Your wisdom in prayer.
Write this concept on the tablet of my heart: Make no decision without prayer. Amen.
You will experience peace, order, and joy when you follow God's guidelines for every area of your life, and best of all, you will become a woman after His heart!
Elizabeth George shares God's Word and woman-to-woman practical wisdom on how you can pursue God's priorities in A Woman After God’s Own Heart.
What other time-wasters do you need to seek God’s help in removing from your day?
Don’t forget that some activities feel like time wasters but are actually valuable service to your family and others.
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Jim and Elizabeth George are bestselling authors and national speakers dedicated to helping people live a life after God’s own heart. Together, they have written over 150 books with more than 14 million copies sold around the world. For over 35 years, the teachings and steadfast example of Elizabeth and Jim have helped countless men and women:
Jim and Elizabeth George are bestselling authors and national speakers dedicated to helping people live a life after God’s own heart. Together, they have written over 150 books with more than 14 million copies sold around the world. For over 35 years, the teachings and steadfast example of Elizabeth and Jim have helped countless men and women:
How did men and women in the Bible accomplish great things for God? There wasn’t any secret formula or bestselling book on success for them. In fact, they were ordinary people like you and me. What made them effective was their willingness to obey God—one decision at a time.
