In Colossians 4:5 I read, “Use your time in the best way you can.” (ICB). Another translation says, “Be wise in the way you act toward those who are not believers, making good use of every opportunity you have.” (GNT)
To be used by God, there are a few steps I need to take. First, I need to get to know Jesus Christ. Then, I need to start using my time in view of eternity.
Time is my most precious resource. It’s far more important than money. I can always get more money, but I can’t get more time.
In this life, I only have a certain amount of time allotted to me. I can’t make time, I can’t borrow it, I can’t save it up, and or extend it. I can only use it. We all have the same amount of time every week: 168 hours. If I don’t learn to manage my time well, I cannot manage anything else in my life—because my time is my life.
How I use my time is one of the ways God tests me on Earth as I prepare for eternity. He’s watching to see how I manage my time now to determine what he’s going to have me do in eternity.
One of Satan’s strategies is to get me so busy doing unimportant things that I don’t have time for life’s important things, like preparing for eternity. Satan knows that he doesn’t have to get me to sin; if he can’t get me to be bad, he’ll just get me to be busy.
The Bible tells me exactly what I should be doing with my time in Acts 20:24: “My life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned to me by the Lord Jesus” (NLT).
God wants to use me—but he can only do that when I’m investing my time in the most important things. I’ve got to use my time in view of eternity. I’ve got to ask myself, “How much of what I’m spending my time on is going to count five or 10 years from now? How much is going to count in eternity?” Then I’ve got to refocus.
I need to use my time in view of eternity so God can see that I’m focused on the main thing—his purposes.
In summary, to be used by God, there are a few steps I need to take. First, I need to get to know Jesus Christ. Then, I need to start using my time in view of eternity. Time is my most precious resource. It’s far more important than money. I can always get more money, but I can’t get more time. I only have a certain amount of time allotted to me. If I don’t learn to manage my time well, I cannot manage anything else in my life—because my time is my life. How I use my time is one of the ways God tests me on Earth as I prepare for eternity. He’s watching to see how I manage my time now to determine what he’s going to have me do in eternity. One of Satan’s strategies is to get me so busy doing unimportant things that I don’t have time for life’s important things, like preparing for eternity. Satan knows that he doesn’t have to get me to sin; if he can’t get me to be bad, he’ll just get me to be busy. What should I do with my time? I should use it for finishing the work assigned to me by the Lord Jesus”. God wants to use me—but he can only do that when I’m investing my time in the most important things. I’ve got to use my time in view of eternity. I’ve got to ask myself, “How much of what I’m spending my time on is going to count five or 10 years from now? How much is going to count in eternity?” Then I’ve got to refocus. I need to use my time in view of eternity so God can see that I’m focused on the main thing—his purposes.