Day Eighteen: The Gift of Time

The Gift of Time

In the busiest season of the year, who could not use a gift of more time in the day?  I certainly could! Instead of 24 hours, could I have 30? Here’s the thing: if I had 30, I’d need (or at least think I’d need) 35 hours in a day. Just like a suitcase that is bulging at the seams, I can always pack more “stuff” into my schedule. Do you think God had me (and you other “A type” personalities) in mind when He assigned only 24 hours to each day? Maybe He doesn’t want us to cram as much as we possibly can into each day. Interesting thought…

If God doesn’t want us to fill our day completely with our “to-do” list, what does He want us to do with the gift of time He has given each of us? 

Some time ago, I wrote a blog on what God wants me to do each day. The premise of the blog was to ask God every morning what He wanted me to do that day. I would listen, and whatever He told me to do, I would do it to the best of my ability with His help. Some days, there would not be a specific answer from God. However, there are things God expects us to do every day without having to be told: to be His light in the world; to be Jesus to everyone we meet throughout the day; help those in need, to the best of our ability; to “pray without ceasing.” (I Thess. 5:17)

There is also this little word “priorities.” I fully believe that God is a God of order and priorities. He showed us this in the book of Genesis, when He created the world. Each day, God created specific things—light, sky, land, birds, creatures of the sea, animals, man and woman. There was an order to everything He did and there is still an order to His work today. So what are our priorities for each day? Obviously, mine will not look like yours, and yours will not look like mine. Yet, there should be a few priorities that are the same. We should all have our Bible reading and prayer time as one of the top priorities on our schedule. If we don’t, we need to re-do our schedule. I realize that some people cannot have their Bible reading and prayer time early in the morning because of their work schedule or other obligations. But those two activities need to be on our schedules.

No matter what our schedules look like—if we have a job outside the home, if we are stay-at-home moms whose schedule is even busier than those who work outside the home, if we are the breadwinner, a single mom, a widow or widower, it makes no difference. God expects us to use our time wisely. After all, He gave us the gift of time. Should we not use it the way He desires us to use it?

Father God, thank You for the gift of time. Thank You that, in Your wisdom, You only gave us twenty-four hours a day. Every day, but especially during this season, help each one of us to use our days to do what You would have us to do. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.