The way you spend your time says more about your spiritual condition than you may think. Ephesians 5:15-16 says, “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.” In this clip, I try to expose two ways in which we fail to glorify God with our time and the deeper heart issues that lie beneath these decisions.
Transcript
Time has a way of getting away from us, or time has a way of filling up with things that are not so urgent. Or, not so important, but are very urgent. So if we take control of our time, hopefully then, we are really making sure we’re setting aside time for what matters most, and not giving our time over to lesser things.
So, I really believe there’s a call on us to plan. A call on us to do our best, to structure our time, structure our day, structure our week to ensure we’re slotting in the most important things. And I think one of the battles we face is that things come up over the course of the week, over the course of the day that seem urgent and we’re constantly having to make this call of, will I do what I had planned to do, or will I do what this urgent thing is? And I think there’s peril on both sides. If we don’t structure our time well, or we’re not too sure what God has called us to, I think we can cave to the fear of man. By which I mean, I want to please people. And so everything that comes along, I’m thinking I’m just going to do that instead of holding to my plans. And so now that time I had set aside to pray, which is usually the easiest thing in the world to carve into that empty space, every time something comes along I’m dipping into that because I really want people to love me. And the way I can show love to them is to give them time and the easiest time to take is out of prayer.
On the other hand, we can be filled with pride and think that I’ve set my plans in place, that is not a divine interruption. That is, I know what God has called me to do, and that is to use this time in this way. And so now I’m into this territory of pride where God may be sending someone my way who really needs my ministry and yet, I’m immovable because I have set my schedule and my schedule has really become my God.
So, I think we’ve got to be very careful and weigh every opportunity. What would the Lord have me do? Maybe just prayerfully in that moment consider, how can I best achieve what God wants me to achieve in this life? How can I best do good to others and glorify God? Is that to stop, you know, take some time that I thought I had set aside for this and use it for people? Or is it to say no, I’m sorry, I can’t commit time, I can’t make that a priority right now. I need to use my time to this other goal.
So, I think it’s very difficult, it’s a constant balance, it requires lots of prayer and lots of, I think repentance.
