Making and Taking Time

My teens spent the weekend at a youth retreat.  These are a great opportunity for fun, fellowship and Scriptural messages dedicated to helping teens grow in their walk with the Lord.

I always hear lots of stories of the goings on and the highlights of the messages.  This time, one highlight stood out above the rest…time.

Have you ever said that you were going to make time for something?  “I’ll make time to do that after I do such and such.”    How do you make time?

The simple answer, we can not make time.

God makes time.  Genesis clearly tells us how God created the heavens and the earth, the sun, moon and stars, day and night (Genesis 1-2).  The Creator of the universe is also the Creator of time.

In order for us to come up with the time to do something, we must take the time.

Taking time is an interesting concept.  In order to take time to do one thing, we must take it away from something else.  In other words, we must choose what is most important to us and use the time accordingly.

If I watch tv, craft, read, exercise,  or whatever for three hours a day, then those are three hours that I am not doing something else.  What else is not getting done?  When do I fit in time to do devotions, Bible study, pray?  Do you ever feel as though you do not have enough time to accomplish all that you would like to in a day?  Why?  What are you taking your time to do?

Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.”  Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow.  What is your life?  You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.  Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.”  As it is, you boast and brag.  All such boasting is evil.  Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins.

Learning to prioritize our time is not an easy task.  It takes practice, commitment and sacrifice.  Sometimes, we need to give up something we really want to do in order to do something that we really need to do.

As a child, I was often told that I could not go out to play  until I had completed my homework or my chores or cleaned my room.  After birthdays and Christmases, I didn’t play with toys until I had written thank you notes to the givers.  My parents helped me learn to set priorities.  At the time, I would have much rathered play, but as an adult, I have a firm understanding of the importance of making responsible choices with my time.  (I do not always make the right choice, but I do understand the principle.)

Managing time is really not so different from managing money.  There is only so much of it to go around and when it runs out…it is gone.  With money, many people live on credit.  The money is not really theirs and they spend a lifetime trying to pay back what they owe.  With time, we take time from those things that are truly important, expecting that they will still be there when we get to them.  Some people never get around to spending the time on those things that were most important.

So, where does the time go? 

Jesus tells us to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” and to “love your neighbour as yourself.”  Matthew 22:37-39

The New Testament calls these the two greatest commandments.  What choices are you making with your time in order to fulfill Jesus’ commands to you?

Be very careful, then how you live – not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity.

What will you take time to do today?