Making the Most of Your Time

By Alexandra Copeland

The world has pushed a culture of impatience, but in the general scope of things, it’s not all bad. One might argue that modern technology is a byproduct of humanity’s impatience and need for expediencies, but there can be no doubt that it has provided conveniences that most couldn’t have dreamed of thirty years ago. The odd thing is that we’re more productive, but somehow, most of us still feel as though we don’t have enough time to do all the things we need to. The luxury of convenience and the demands on our time has caused many of us to expect everything on the double. If they’re not given to us in the amount of time we deem appropriate, we take measures into our own hands and sometimes behave in ways that isn’t Christian-like. Our Heavenly Father hasn’t changed, and our impatience doesn’t move Him to act one bit. He’s given us the gift of time, and He expects us to make the most of it by slowing down to make doubly sure we give Him the honor He’s due. 

As the demands on our time increases, it is inevitable that we will have greater needs. If we’re wise, we will more clearly see that God is the glue that holds our lives together. An expanding life will require an ever-expanding closeness to Him and a recognition of dependency on His strength and power. Jesus Christ said in John 15:5(NLT), “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.” If we have not made Christ the head over our lives and shown humility to move where he leads instead of where we want to go, the direction we take may not be one that pleases him. Whenever this is the case, things will not turn out as we hope.  

In the beginning of Old Testament times, people lived incredibly long lives. Methuselah, son of Enoch and grandfather of Noah, lived to be 969 years-old. God gave the gift of long life to provide opportunity to develop closeness with Him, but instead, humans used this opportunity to sin greater and longer. Genesis 6:3,5(NLT) tells us, “3 Then the LORD said, “My Spirit will not put up with humans for such a long time, for they are only mortal flesh. In the future, their normal lifespan will be no more than 120 years.” 5 The LORD observed the extent of human wickedness on the earth, and he saw that everything they thought or imagined was consistently and totally evil.” One of the lessons we should learn from this is that when God’s agenda is neglected and His plan and purpose isn’t the priority, things spiral out of control very quickly.  

1Corinthians 6:19-20(NLT) tells us, "Don't you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body." Our approach should never be one of seeking God to make all the moving parts of our lives work together. It should be one of recognizing that all the moving parts belong to Him, and therefore, we should be asking Him to direct us according to His plan and purpose. Often, we pray for God to get on board with our plans, but Proverbs 19:21 tells us that we can use the conveniences of modern times to make a ton of plans, but only the Lord’s purpose prevails.  

The authority to do anything within this earthly plain comes from Christ. Philippians 2:9-13 tell us that God elevated Jesus Christ to the place of highest honor and has given him a name that is above all other names. Within every realm in existence, heaven, earth, and below; every knee should bow, and every tongue should confess that our blessed and powerful Savior is Lord! This is what glorifies Heavenly Father, because it is His Will. In the same way that the Spirit of God worked in Christ to fulfill His purpose, He is also working in us. He’s giving us the desire and power to do what pleases Him.  

Time doesn’t belong to us and life doesn’t lean on our time schedules. Everything was created by God for the purpose of His Will. We must be careful not to become so conformed to the world that we lose sight of why we’re here and what we’re supposed to be doing. Fellowship with God is the whole reason for our being. When we lose ourselves to the minutia of everyday demands, life becomes a chore and doesn’t feel like the blessing it is meant to be. We need to step out of the realm of worldliness and into the realm of Christ. The Holy Spirit can accomplish in less than one second the things that take us years to figure out and achieve. Surrender to Christ and relinquish your cares to the power of his leadership and direction, and you’ll have plenty of time to honor God and meet the demands of a life enriched in His grace. ■ 

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.