Written By: Bobbie Schaeperkoetter
Time. It’s our most valuable resource. It’s the one thing there just never seems to be enough of and it’s the one thing that is forever gone once it is spent. It also happens to be one of the easiest things to waste. Time just seems to slip right through our fingers no matter how desperately we try to hold onto it.
I’m not always careful with how I spend my time. I like to imagine that when it comes to time, I am rich, and I can just spend, spend, spend, without any worry about ever running out. I want to frivolously spend all of my time in ways that are fun and make me happy. For me, that if it were totally my choice, I would blow my time on Netflix, naps, and lazy days instead of investing it on the things that matter and have eternal value.
Honestly, it is one of my biggest struggles. My perception of my time is so skewed sometimes. And it starts right there with the word MY. I think it’s MY time to spend however I like and I get forgetful of the fact that every minute that I have is a gift from my Heavenly Father.
When I get greedy with my time, I need a change in my perspective. Maybe we all do when we get a little too protective of our time. We need to remember that it’s His time and we need to look at it and spend it with that fact in mind.
I know that God has placed a calling on my life. I know that He has a specific purpose for me and that He has a good plan for my life. My minutes matter to Him because He’s created me for a purpose, with a purpose.
If you are still on this earth, He has a purpose for you too.
We can flit away the precious time He’s given us with things that don’t matter and don’t have any value, or we can see time for what it really is. Time is a resource, a tool, to be used for God’s glory.
Maybe your calling is to write or speak or teach. Maybe God is calling you to serve children, teens, women, homeless, hurting, or needy in a way that only you can. Maybe you are called to be a mom, a wife, a sister, a friend, a colleague, a student, a family member, or a daughter.
Maybe your purpose is huge and grand or maybe it seems kind of small. Our callings can look vastly different, but one thing about our callings will always remain the same. Our callings are from God, for us, for a specific purpose at this time in our lives.
I’m reminded of Esther 4 when God has called Esther to intervene on behalf of the Jews. God is calling her for a specific purpose at a specific time in her life. She can ignore that call or she can walk it out. She can blow her time, or she can invest it by doing the work that God has called her to do at this moment.
He uncle gives her a warning that can be applied to all of us. I’m paraphrasing, but in Esther 4:14 her uncle basically says, “Esther, you can ignore God’s call and do what you want. You can take the easy way out, but if you do, you’re blowing it. If you don’t walk out your calling, you’re wasting this gift of time that God gave you because He will use someone else and you will have blown your opportunity. Who knows? Maybe all of your life has been preparing you for how you would spend these moments.”
I don’t want to waste my time. I want to use every single minute that God gives me well. I want to invest them in a way that produces heavenly rewards. I don’t want God to give my moments to someone else who would use them better than I do. I want to be a good steward with the gift of my time. Don’t you?
Just like Esther, we’ve been called for such a time as this. We have a specific purpose ordained by God just for us. There is a time for everything and our time is now. Let’s not blow it. Let’s note waste it.
Prayer:
Father God,
Thank you for the gift of time. Thank you for the specific plan and purpose that you have for our life. Thank you for the time that you’ve blessed us with. Help us to see our time as a tool and a resource to invest in ways that will bring you honor and glory and will draw people to you. Help us to use our time wisely and not to blow it frivolously. Give us wisdom and self-control in this area.
In Jesus’ name we pray,
Amen.
Love and blessings,
Bobbie Schaeperkoetter
*Bobbie Schaeperkoetter is married to her high school sweet heart and is a homeschooling mama of a tween boy and a teen boy. She loves Jesus with her whole heart and is just doing her best to honor him in the craziness of life. She would love to be a friend and encourage you in your Christian walk as you do the same.
You can follow Bobbie’s blog at www.bobbieschae.com
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