Managing, Not Making (Time)
by Rev. Brian Mathis

"Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of your time" Colossians 4:5 (E.S.V).

Well let me say it Happy New Year; 2013 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 2014 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:

3 And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. 4 And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. 5 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 (E.S.V)

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;

1. God
2. Family
3. Church
4. Job
5. 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;

24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. Hebrews 10:24-25 (E.S.V)

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, "So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom" Psalm 90:12 (E.S.V) and Paul wrote to the Colossians, "Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of your time" Colossians 4:5 (E.S.V). Paul also wrote to the Ephesians, "Look carefully then how you walk, not unwise but wise, making the best use of your time because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is" Ephesians 5:15 (E.SV). 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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"If you want to make good use of your time, you’ve got to know what’s most important and then give it all you’ve got" ~ Lee Iacocca

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Rev. Brian H. Mathis CSC
Associate Pastor of Discipleship
Westminster Baptist Church
blogger at www.bhmathis.blogspot.com
Graduate of Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary
MDiv in Chaplain Studies
Graduate of Anderson University
BS in Elementary Education

Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com-CHRISTIAN WRITERS