Articles
Using Time Wisely
Arguably the best blessing God gives us is time because it gives us opportunities to do His will and glorify Him. Ephesians 5:15-16 reads, “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.” With these verses, the apostle Paul is encouraging God’s children to walk in love and obedience to God instead of sin. However, actively sinning isn’t the only thing that can prevent us from using our time wisely. One of the reasons why the days are evil is because righteous opportunities can slip away from the distractions in our daily lives. Daily routines become sinful when we let them become a constant excuse that leads us to neglect our relationship with God.
In Matthew 22, Jesus compares the kingdom of Heaven to a wedding feast saying, “...a king who gave a wedding feast for his son, and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come. Again he sent other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, ‘See, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast.’’ But they paid no attention and went off, one to his farm, another to his business…” There is nothing wrong with paying attention to our work and daily responsibilities, but when they come before God it is a problem. As His children, our duty to God is to spread the example and teachings of His Son by using our time for righteous works. One way we can use our time to bring glory to Him is by loving our neighbors.
Toward the end of the parable, Jesus explains that the king found a man who entered the wedding feast without wearing the proper attire to attend and is banished into the darkness to die. He ends by saying in Matthew 22:14, “For many are called and few are chosen.” Answering God’s invitation requires us to obey Him with our whole heart by not continuing to live in sin so we can use our time wisely for Him. 1 John 2:4-6 reads, “Whoever says ‘I know him’ but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.”
The way in which we use our time is extremely important to our faith. The more we engage in God’s word and put what we learn from Him into practice in our lives then the more we will grow in our relationship with Him. Is there a righteous work you have been putting off? Do you have a moment to read a verse and open His word today? Let us encourage each other and be diligent in our obedience!
