24 Hours

There is one thing that we all have in common - we all have 24 hours given to us in a day. Some people use that time and do so much in that 24 hours and others do so little and waste their time. What does the Bible say about our time and how we are to use it?

Ephesians 5:16

"Redeeming the time, because the days are evil."

Redeeming - to make wise and sacred use of every opportunity for doing good, so that zeal and well doing are as it were the purchase money by which we make the time our own.

We should make WISE use of our time! I hear people all the time tell me they are too busy to do this or that and how much they have to do everyday. Yet, when I ask what they did.......they come up with a blank....why? Because they are doing things that aren't really worthy of their time! So what is worthy of our time?

  1. God -time spent with God is wise and useful time!
  2. Family - as women we are called to love our husbands and teach our children!
  3. Others - if you don't have time for others, what kind of life are you living? A selfish one? To build a relationship with someone, you spend TIME with them. If you really love someone, you will not be so upset that you had to spend TIME to help them when they needed you!
  4. Self - contrary to some, we should spend some time on ourselves. If we are not taking care of our selves, how can we help others and take care of our families? It is when we let self take over completely and don't give time to the above, that our priorities get warped
There are some people who are so busy they have no time for God and they have no time for others. They are living a life unto themselves and they don't even realize they are getting no where in their 'busy-ness'.

If you don't have time to read your Bible and pray every day, spending that precious time with God each time then you have your priorities wrong! Let's look at Jesus' visit with Martha and Mary:

Luke 10:38-41

"Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house.
And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word.
But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me.
And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things:
But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her."

Martha was just so busy that she didn't have time for Jesus. She even got mad at Mary because Mary was not helping her. Yet, in reality, Mary was using her time wiser then Martha was. Mary was where it was really at - at Jesus' feet! Notice it said that Martha was cumbered about and careful and troubled about many things. Just what do those words mean?

Cumbered - to be driven about mentally, to be distracted; to be over-occupied, too busy, about a thing
Careful and troubled - anxious; troubled in mind; troubled with cares; disturbed

Martha was too busy and didn't realize she was not doing what was "needful", but Mary knew what was needful! How about we become busy with needful and useful things?

Just what is your life really full of and what are you really "busy" with? Stop and think about it and make a list of what you fill your life with each day and does it include God and others or just your own selfish agenda. If God is not first in your life and the top of your priority list then you need to change that. Then on the flip-side, some think they are doing God's will and so busy for the Kingdom of God but they actually forget the King!

You need to have goals and a purpose to your life instead of just running around being busy and not accomplishing anything! Set some goals! Have a purpose to your day and your life! Quit running around spending time accomplishing nothing and doing things that are unfruitful. End your day feeling like you actually redeemed the time and used your 24 hours wisely.