It’s sobering to remember how short life is.
Even though we know eternity with God waits on the other side of death, it can feel as though we have unfinished business here or simply more we’d like to do. But there’s a blessing in embracing the brevity of our time on earth.
This month, as we share Dr. Stanley’s thoughts on life, time, and eternity, find a quiet place to ponder making each day count with God.
If you only had six months to live, how would you spend your time? More than likely, every week would become increasingly important. In fact, you would begin to count the minutes you had left.
Well, none of us know how long we have to live, so the question becomes: What are we doing with our life now?
Paul gives us a very wise admonition in his letter to the Ephesians, where he says, “Be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil. So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is” (Eph. 5:15-17). The only way to use our time wisely is to use it as God desires, according to His will—not ours.
Leaving God out of our plans and schedules will always lead to feeling pressured. We look at all we need to accomplish and conclude we don’t have time to spend consulting Him. So we ask Him to bless us and then plunge ahead with our plans, without the benefit of God’s foresight and wisdom guiding us. Of course we’ll wind up feeling stressed, because only God can order our steps perfectly.
To use our time wisely, there are a few steps we can take.
First, we must realize that all our time is the Lord’s.
We can’t delegate Sunday as the Lord’s time and the rest of the week as ours to do as we please. God owns it all, and we are just stewards of the time He entrusts to us in this lifetime.
Second, we must give the Lord top priority.
The most important part of each day is the time we spend fellowshipping with the Lord—as we meditate on His Word, speak with Him, worship Him, and serve others.
Jesus modeled for us what giving God top priority in our day looks like: “In the early morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went away to a secluded place, and was praying there” (Mark 1:35).
When I attended seminary, I realized it was a natural temptation for students to become so busy studying for classes that personal prayer and Bible study would get neglected. But I discovered I could accomplish much more when I began each day with the Lord and asked Him to direct my schedule as He desired. He always gives us enough time each day to do His will by guiding and governing our schedules in the very best of ways.
Third, as believers we’re accountable to God.
Paul explained it to the Corinthian church this way: “Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad” (2 Cor. 5:9-10).
The word bad in this verse means “worthless.” You don’t want to spend your time on earth doing things that have no eternal value. Your time is your life, and your life belongs to God. Rely on the Holy Spirit to help you invest your life in what pleases the Lord.
Paul reminds us earlier in the same chapter, that our earthly bodies are only a tent, and that we groan for our final home in heaven. This is meant to give us courage that this life isn’t all there is—that by faith, we set our focus on what is lasting.
Make your life count by being a beacon of Christ and the gospel for everyone around you. See yourself as a person of eternity, not merely a person of time. It’s the difference between spending time and investing it in blessings for yourself and others.
We hope you’ve been energized by Dr. Stanley’s message to keep eternity in mind each day. It’s a precious gift from the Lord that unfolds every morning when you open your eyes. Watch for Him as you appreciate the beauty of creation and enjoy the people He’s put into your life.
Jesus told His disciples to stop striving after worldly things and situations, “but seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matt. 6:33).
Till next time, God bless you.
For His glory,
Your friends at In Touch Ministries