Are You Wasting Your Time?

Time management is pretty tricky, and multi-tasking seems to be a pretty coveted 'talent' among folks these days. There are exactly twenty-four hours in a day, for every single person on this earth, and though our days seem to stay pretty busy, are we just simply wasting our time?

Take just a moment and sort of scan through the motions of a regular day in your life. Really- think about every little thing you do from the start to finish of your day. Okay, good. Now- where is God in everything that you've got going on in a typical day? How many times does God pop up in thought, prayer or conversation? Is He even in the back of your mind while you're going through the motions?

We deem our daily routines as important and necessary- coffee, work, meetings, TV programs, family time, running errands, extra activities, church involvement, volunteering, etc. While many of these things (though not all of them) are in fact important to us, there seems to be something even more important missing from our day to day schedules.

We use those twenty-four hours in a day to do what we consider important. We all feel pressured to do things for other people at times, don't we? No one can force you to do anything- you always have a choice in the matter. That's right- we commit to doing things because we choose to, and therefore, our schedules reveal our priorities. Have you ever thought about it that way? Have you ever looked over your schedule and been caught by surprise by what's at the top of your list? Forget about scheduling your priorities around your life...how about scheduling your life around your priorities?

How you choose to use your time is up to you- some of us simply spend it, others invest it, and some waste it...oh, how we waste it! The greatest time-waster of present day seems to be Facebook. Yeah- you're laughing because you know it's true. Think about how many times a day you log into Facebook, and how much time you spend...well, wasting it. I am indeed guilty of wasting time on Facebook, but try to think of ways to utilize the social networking site in a way that will get people thinking about God, encourage others, etc...and even still, it's a poor excuse for how much time I spend on there!

Imagine all of the time we just waste during the day or evening- gossiping on the phone, watching television, eating just because we're bored... I know that sometimes nothing feels better than to kick your shoes off and plop down on the couch with a bag of chips to catch a game or a crummy reality show and relax, or to play video games until your eyeballs feel like they're going to pop out, but what if I told you that there's something else that you can do which will offer even greater relaxation? That's right- spend that time with God. Spend that time reading the bible, telling your children bible stories, keeping a prayer journal, reading inspirational books or articles that will get your wheels turning, etc. Trade cocktails after work for a bible study group (a learning experience and a great support system!)- get to know yourself in Christ, and get to know Him.

In John 15:1-4, we are told to cut out the things that don't have eternal value or further our relationship with God:

"I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me." (NIV)

You are the only one who can decide how your time will be spent. Keep in mind that God does not want to be number ten on your list of top priorities...He wants to be at the top of every to-do list for the rest of your life. Prune your life a little bit- rearrange some things and cut out the time-wasting junk so that you can better focus on God, get to know Him on a personal level, seek him day in and day out, and know His word and truth. Friends, it's the smartest and most important thing you could ever invest in.

Prayer- Father God, we ask that we might see You more clearly, love You more dearly and follow You more nearly. Help us to take these steps that will bring us closer to You day by day. Amen.