Making Good Use of Time

The wise use of time is a frequently expressed concern. As Christians, we desire to honor God not only with our talents, but also with our time. Here are some tips that can help us make effective use of the time God gives us.

Recognize that Time is Short and Irretrievable

When we are young and life seems to stretch a long way ahead of us, it is easy to squander time. We can waste the hours of the day, the days of the week, even the years of our youth thinking that one day we’ll take time seriously. However, we have no guarantee on the length of our days, our capacity to use them, or the opportunities they present. We hear our elderly friends often lamenting that they did not take advantage of time and opportunities when they were young. Recognizing that our time on earth is short and quickly passing helps us to make better use of it. The Psalmist says: “So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom” (Psalm 90:12).

Establish Daily Routines and Habits

Self-discipline is the mother of happiness. Those concepts, put side-by-side, seem oxymoronic to us, especially in a culture that increasingly regards ultimate bliss as freedom from authority, rules, and structure. But having been created by a God of order, we function best when we order our daily lives. Daniel, from the ancient nation of Israel, was a young man with an ordered lifestyle. He established a daily prayer routine (Daniel 6:10). He seems to have favored a healthy diet (Daniel 1:12). We should learn from him. Apart from the fact that you and I should keep the communication line open with God all day long, it is good for us to have planned moments in each day that are dedicated to prayer. The same applies to the devotional reading of God’s Word. Proper sleep habits, exercise, and a healthy diet are important for keeping the body and mind fresh. If we belong to the Lord, then our bodies belong to Him as a temple that He wants to inhabit (1 Corinthians 6:19).

Learn to Deal with Distractions

Distractions come in every shape and form. Some of them are unavoidable, like getting the flu, having a flat tire, or getting an unexpected visitor. Often, God wants to use these unforeseen events for our benefit, or for us to benefit others. However, there are many distractions that we cause ourselves. Increasingly, our personal phones, computers, and screens of every kind are intruding upon our lives. The incessant “beeps” of incoming electronic messages, emails, tweets, and Facebook posts interrupt our conversations, meals, Bible reading, and prayers. I would like to remind you that each of these devices has an “Off” button. Learn to use it! For some of us, a daylong “technology fast” may be in order. Instead of being controlled by our devices, we must learn to control them.

Make Time for Real Relationships

Do you have a real relationship with God? The most ordered, successful life is wasted if you have not entered into a meaningful relationship with Jesus. You need to trust Him as Savior and Lord and then begin a daily walk together with Him. The best use of a person’s life is spent as a disciple of Jesus. 

But what about our relationships with the people around us? Are we investing them with the time they need to flourish? Are you spending time with your parents and siblings, with fellow Christians in your youth group and church family? We can become so focused on our own interests and so absorbed with our electronic friendships that we ignore the people God has placed closest to us. Through real relationships we invite counsel, correction, comfort, and encouragement into our lives. Others receive the same from us. The writer to the Hebrews said, “Let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching” (Hebrews 10:24-25). That is a good word for all of us today!

Franz Friesen

Aylmer, ON