Time Matters!

"We spend our years as a tale that is told. So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom" Psalm 90:9b,12

Benjamin Franklin said, ". . . Do not squander time for that is the stuff that life is made of"

How can we practically be a good steward of our time? It begins by knowing our priorities. Scripture tells us that our first priority is a relationship with God then all others (including yourself) should come after Him.

Mark 12:30-31 says, "And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these"

Others can’t receive on overflow of love if God isn’t first. You weren’t meant to make everyone happy. You can’t and you won’t no matter how hard you try; It will only cause you misery. Focus on first things first and all other things will work out.

How do I know this? Scripture promises it. Matthew 6:33 says, "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you" We all have different responsibilities and circumstances, but one thing that is true for all is our first priority is to God alone. He has promised us that when this priority is in place, He’ll take care of the rest. YOU CAN TRUST HIM ON THIS!

Okay, so we know our first priority, but the problem is really that I don’t have enough time in a day. Have you ever said this? I know I have. Reality is God knew what He was doing when He gave us 24 hours in our days. If we have more than we can do in this time frame there’s a problem probably stemming from one of the following four areas:

1. We have not learned the importance of time management
2. We have not learned how to manage our time wisely according to our priorities
3. We have too much on our plates.
4. We have not recognized our time management as a spiritual battle

I will be addressing the first three problems in part II of this series, Time Matters. The third problem will be covered in part III, and Part IV will be How To Have a Meaningful Quiet Time. We will also cover the following topics in this series: Identifying our time enemies, Eliminating schedule clutter, Planning with purpose, The art of delegating, and Knowing when and how to say NO!

In the meantime, Let’s accept nothing less than God’s best for our lives. It begins with God; as a matter of fact it’s all about Him! Leaving Him out or giving Him our leftovers is settling for less than He intended for your life. If you are loaded down with too many responsibilities and cares, give it all to Jesus.

"Jesus said, Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light" Matthew 11:29-30

Why don't you start, even now, and ask Him to give you a hunger for Him. Open His word; read it, study it, and apply it. If your not sure where to begin, Psalm and Proverbs are always good. You can also follow this chronological 61 day reading plan provided by Biblegateway. Or, I know You would enjoy reading The Biographical Bible reading plan also by Biblegateway; it is basically an overview of who's who in the Bible. I know I've learned a lot from their examples. Everything from courage and strength to heartache and pain. They were imperfect people who struggled just like we do, yet God's people through His grace found Him faithful to work in their lives and through their lives. I hope you enjoy Your time with the Lord. I know God will bless you as you seek Him. Proverbs 8:17 says, "I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me"