Everybody is in a hurry today. We have, from childhood, been taught to “hurry up”. We have fast foods, fast cars, fast lifestyles, fast…whatever. (See, this is an impatient statement. I don’t want to list everything.)
This leads to: An Overactive Mind, Impatience, Not paying attention, Anxiety, Poor Health, Errors, Fatigue, Restlessness, and I’ll bet you can think of much more.
In Isiah 28: 9, 10 we see:
“Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts. For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:”
Life in general, seems to be a building process, according to the Scriptures. This is what I mean about Taking Your Time, for everything you do. As you well know, our Lord is never in a hurry, but He is never late. It has always been my habit to say that “If you are not 10 minutes early, you are late”.
I have known people who were consistently late for Church service. They would come in the door, interrupt the Pastor, wave to everyone and then sit smiling. They has no clue what they were doing, how it makes them appear, or how to correct it, even though they had been spoken to many times by Church leadership as well as the Pastor.
Reading Scripture, knowing the Bible, praying, your daily tasks/routine, job, it all takes time. It takes time to do everything so why don’t we take the time to do it well? Time which you have but more than likely is not properly used or organized. As I’ve motioned in the past; God has given all of us 24 hours in a day. If we are not using them diligently we must be doing something God does not want us to do. It is said, “When you kill Time remember that it has no resurrection”.
What is Stealing our Time? (I really think you know.)
TV (a very big waste of Time, a very very big waste of Time), Gaming, Over Sleeping, Being Entertained, etc. We are replacing things that need to be done (cleaning house, reading the Word, Praying, etc.) with things that don’t need to be done. – –
Please note: I definitely have not arrived.
How do I slow down?
It takes discipline. Like: getting up early, taking time to do your daily ablutions, eat breakfast and clean up, sit awhile and spend time with our Lord, then go to work – not speeding but arrive early. Then go about your daily work (Job) with a calm relaxed attitude. Your bosses will note it and your coworkers will notice it. You will become known as a disciplined man (woman). And, believe it or not, you will be rewarded accordingly. If there is ever an emergency you will have time to address it correctly and not in a panic as others do. Try it and discipline yourselves. Do not let your life go by without trying it at least once. When you do you will be hooked and want to do it again.
Be conscious of your pace
1. Smell the flowers Your journey can really be exciting.
2. Do not always have your thoughts focused on the end game. Getting there is usually more fun than you make it to be.
3. Remember your Priorities. Know that you are missing much of the World if you don’t slow down to see it. This needs more explaining below.
Priorities
This is a teaching in-and-of itself. If we don’t get this straight our Godly timing and schedules will be all screwed up. Here are 6 Priorities. It goes like this:
No. 1 God is number one. If you don’t seem to have time for Him as Number One, you are really going to have problems. Maybe you should recheck your Salvation.
But seek ye first His kingdom, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. (Matthew 6:33)
No. 2 Your Spouse
And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. (Genesis 2:22-24)
No. 3 Your Children starting with the firstborn.
When a husband and wife marry they become one and then have children. It is therefore necessary for children to be the third priority after God and Spouse.
“Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth.” (Psalms 127: 3-4)
“Consecrate to me all the firstborn. Whatever is the first to open the womb among the people of Israel, both of man and of beast, is mine.” (Exodus 13:2)
No. 4 Your Workplace (Work)
Our duty as husbands is to Provide and Protect and Cherish our wives. Providing is working. (If you are a single Mom the same applies for you are assuming both rolls.) Interesting, see this and Number 5 below and ask yourself, “Would you give up being a Pastor for your wife”?
No. 5 Your Assembly (Church)
This is where we feed spiritually and socially in the Lord. It is where we encourage one another in the faith, help one another, and serve one another
No. 6. Neighbor (The World)
If the above Priorities are lined up properly this is where we can “love your neighbor as ourselves” and be a light in the world.
Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. (Mark 12:31)
“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 5: 14-16)
No. 6. Yourselves
Yes we are last.
“If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all. “(Mark 9:32)
Beware of Defining Things the Way the World Does
We must continuously remind ourselves that we live in this World but we are not of this world. What the World calls a “Waste of time” may not be at all. It’s like going into His House and sitting down. Enjoy the presence of His company by doing nothing but basking in His Peace, Silence and Presence. You don’t have to pray, or even talk to Him. How hard is it to do nothing? You may not hear anything but, so what? You don’t have to hear anything. Not hearing from Him is not a waste of time, it’s simply not hearing. But, you are in His presence. – This is not a waste of time! What is it that David said?
O God, you are my God; early will I seek you: my soul thirsts for you, my flesh longs for you in a dry and thirsty land…(Psalm 63:1-11)
And also,
I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD. (Psalms 122:1)
You may fall asleep, but how great is that – to fall asleep in the presence (House) of the Lord! More than likely you need that rest.
Renew Your Mind
The Renewing your mind may be the work of the Holy Spirit but you have to do something too. Stop wasting time on foolishness is only one way. You can only do it if you take the time given to you and use it wisely.
The Bible Has a Lot to Say About Time
For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: (Ecclesiastes 3:1)
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. (Ephesians 5: 15-17)
Don’t waste your time on useless work, mere busywork, the barren pursuits of darkness. Expose these things for the sham they are. (Ephesians 5:11)
Whatever you find to do with your hands, do it with all your might, because there is neither work nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom in the grave, the place where you will eventually go. (Ecclesiastes 9: 10)
Even the World has some Wisdom About Time
- “Short as life is, we make it still shorter by the careless waste of time.” – Victor Hugo
- “Save the excuses. It’s not about “having” time. It’s about making time. If it matters, you will make time.””” (Anon)
- “You have eternity to enjoy the honeymoon, but only a short time to prepare for the wedding”. Woodrow Kroll
- “A man who has wasted one hour of time is not discovered the value of life.” Charles Darwin
Conclusion
Doest thou love life?
Then do not squander time.
For that’s the stuff life is made of.
Benjamin Franklin
I can take the time to say more. Should I? This will get you started.
The Clock of Life is wound but once.
And no man has the power.
To say just when the hands will stop:
At late or early hour.
Now is the only time we own
to do His precious will.
Do not wait until tomorrow:
For the clock may then be still. (Anon)
Enough Said
Thy Words were found, and I did eat them; and Thy Word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by Thy name, O LORD God of hosts. (Jeremiah 15:16)
