Making The Most Of The Time

Ephesians 5:8-17

Is there such thing as busy doing nothing? In the age of modern technology and convenience the one thing I here more people say than any other statement is “I am to busy!” Busy doing what? I think that if we were to survey the things we are doing, we might say that we have been truly busy doing nothing. What have all we done that we could consider to be fruitful and beneficial? Out of all the New Testament verses this one verse I believe is the most critical to us all in this evil day. We need to learn to Redeem the time!

Time in one sense seems eternal. For since man has been keeping time the clock keeps going on and on. For you and I we know that time is not eternal and that we are running out of it every moment of the day. The older we get the more precious it seems and we tend to get even more busy as we try to shove in everything we want to do to be fulfilled. But that is not good Biblical advice. The Bible teaches us how we are to interpret time and live in time.

First, we Interpret time in the backdrop of eternity. God, who is eternal, created what is know as Time/Space History of which he chose to reveal himself to man ultimately in the person of Jesus Christ. But it is more than just revelation it is also redemption. Jesus, the eternal word and son of God came into literal time and on a literal day to redeem the world of mankind back to himself on the cross, one day in history. Jesus also defied death and time by rising from the dead on one day in history. One day when Christ comes again there will be time no longer for there will be “Time no more.” (Revelation 10:6) Time will be swallowed up in eternity.

Second, how do we live in time? There was a secular song that came out by a band named Nickelback titled “If Today Was Your Last Day.” The premise of this song is that life is short and running out fast and we need to consider every moment and relationship as precious, having no regrets or unfinished business. This is what Paul is saying to us in the scripture text. Life and relationships are important. He teaches us that we are to be in harmony in our relationship with God and other believers and abstain from those relationships that hinder us and cause us to be unfruitful. We are to live in the light of the knowledge of God and not walk in darkness. Our light should expose the darkness and through our life bring about a knowledge of God in this present world.

But what keeps us from making the most of our time?

• A passion for worldly things instead of spiritual things

• Procrastination (Putting off repentance, restoring relationships, performing task that God has given us to do)

• Not having our Priorities right when it comes organizing our days

Making the most of our time can be easily done if we take the time to pray at the beginning of each day.

These not only cause us to be unfruitful in our Christian life and service, but also these cause our light to be dimmed and we don’t shine as lights “In the midst of a crooked and perverse nation.” (Philippians 2:15) There is one business of which God’s people should be about and that’s His business! It is by doing His business that we prioritize serving his purposes daily, family, work, and recreation.

Making the most of our time can be easily done if we take the time to pray at the beginning of each day.

Revelation 1:3 tells us that “The time is at hand.” We either live in the reality of death or the light of the second coming of Christ. Time is precious and we need to make the most of it. What if today was your last day? How would you live it? Who would you call? Who would you apologize too? What would you confess unto to God in repentance? This is how we Christians are to live in this world. We will not be here forever!

Pastor Robby