Time

There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under heaven:
a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain,
a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

For many people today, time is the most precious resource they have. Time is the only resource that we each receive the same amount of every day - 24 hours, 1, 440 minutes. No more, no less.

But how we use that time is what differentiates us. God wants us to remember that time is a resource we must steward. Once it is gone, it’s gone. How we spend it, or rather, invest it, does have both temporal and eternal consequences. God cares about our time. Each moment is a gift from Him to be used for His purposes, for His glory.

As we read in Ecclesiastes, there is a time for everything. While there are good and bad ways to use time, often we are choosing between good options for our time. Do we spend a bit more time at work to ensure we have everything done or should we be at home spending time with our family? For many of us the question is not about good or bad, it is about making the wisest choice - using our time in the wisest manner.

Here are some questions to ask yourself related to the stewardship of time:

• Do you regularly spend time alone with God in prayer and reading your Bible?
• What are the five top priorities in your life and does how you spend your time reflect them?
• Do you invest time in Kingdom building activities - being the hands and feet of God and showing God’s love to others?
• Does your life include margin? Those empty spaces that provide you with “breathing room” in your day and week to keep yourself emotionally, physically and spiritually healthy?
• Do you take a Sabbath each week?
• When you are involved in an activity such as work or spending time with your spouse or children - are you focused on that activity or is your mind somewhere else?
• Do you give your best in each activity in which you invest your time?