Have you ever said, “There just aren’t enough hours in the day!”
“I just don’t have enough time to [fill in the blank]!”
I have a sobering realization for you. There will never be more time in the day. Brilliant, I know.
You have the same amount of time as the Apostle Paul, Albert Einstein, Charles Wesley, and Ellen Degeneres.
I’ve been convicted recently. I have been so busy working in the church that I haven’t led someone to Christ in quite some time.
Matter of fact, I don’t have any friends who are “lost”. Not only is that an unacceptable excuse, it is disobedient to Christ.
Sharing the Gospel isn’t a luxury for Christians who have the time. It’s a command for us all. Rather than settling for the “I wish there was more time” excuse, I need to make time.
The Problem With Excuses
The only problem with the “I wish there was more time” mindset is everything.
It’s a life built on excuses. It assumes that life happens to you rather than you taking charge of your life. It’s a way to get off the hook for doing what needs to be done.
As long as you can busy yourself and “not have enough time”, you’re not responsible for making change in your life, right?
Not only is this mindset unhealthy, I believe it dishonors God.
Consider Ephesians 5:15-17
“Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.”
This verse assumes a few things:
1. Our time is a gift. We need to be careful how we use it.
2. The reason we need to live carefully is because the days are evil.
3. We are commanded to understand what God’s will is.
If you evaluated your time, hour-by-hour, each day of the week, you would surprise yourself.
You’d be surprised by how much time you waste. In order to redeem the time, you need to let go of time wasters or even good activities in your schedule.
Maximize Today
If you’re feeling convicted, it’s not the end of the world. You’re not a hopeless case.
Why? Because you have today.
Struggling to get going? Try this:
Open up your Bible and obey something. Put the Word of God to work in your life.
Stop being a Scripture spectator and take some action.
Go ahead. Today awaits you.
Question: Are you redeeming your time or wasting it? What is God asking you to make time for? Share your story in the comments.
I’ve always heard you make time for what is important to you. I think that is so true, when I want to watch a certain TV program- I make the time. When I want to read a certain book- I make the time and so on.
This coming up year my husband and I plan to use our time more wisely. We have been praying about this and know it will be challenging but worth it!
Thanks for the reminders. Love your post.
I think also, even if something isn’t important to you, you can build habits that make it become a priority. Start small and easy and eventually it becomes a discipline.
“The only problem with the “I wish there was more time” mindset is everything.”
“Open up your Bible and obey something. Put the Word of God to work in your life.”
In a word… Brilliant! I’ve recently been struggling with this in my own life. I make excuses for pretty much everything I don’t do or “don’t have time to do.”
And you’re right in that simply reading the Bible isn’t good enough – we have to live it out on purpose.
I love this, bro. Probably one of my favorite posts that you’ve ever written.
Thanks Ryan. What are you making time for? Hanging out with your friend in PA?
I’ve been challenged lately to make sure I’m placing God and my family as the top two priorities in my schedule – time, energy, and attention. I tend to get busy doing all kinds of cool and great things, but these two things need my first focus.
I think we have to figure out what our “big rocks” are that we need to focus on…with some planned wasted time figured in.
Great advice, David. Loved the line, “Open up your Bible and obey something.”
Hi, i am from Barranquilla,Colombia, and i would like to have spanish translation of this blog because is amazing how the Lord is using you in the ministry and i want to share with the worship leaders in my church, but they don´t speak english!
Thank you and God bless you!
Rita, thanks for the kind words. I’m not sure how I would get a Spanish version of this blog. I wonder if there’s a setting on your computer that switches everything from English to Spanish? Have you tried that?
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