Time is money.
Time is ticking away.
Time is always moving.
Tick. Tick. Tick.
How much time do we actually use in the day?
I know for me one of my favorite sayings while I was in college, and even still while I'm in seminary is "When I have time I'll...". This phrase is the 'Get Out of Jail Free Card' of the Christian walk. Now before you assume that I am saying that I am preaching a) a Gospel without works b) that Christians shouldn't plan ahead c) that Christians should never say no d)whatever you might be thinking, let me explain.
Whenever someone would recommend a book to read, a sermon to listen to, a video to watch (educational), or a Bible Study to go to - I would often respond "when I have time..." or "if I had time...". Now sometimes it was true, I didn't have to time to do that, I had other responsibilities that needed to get done. However, the amount of times that I would say that and then find myself staring at facebook, or watching youtube videos, or looking up sports stats/stories far outnumbered the times that I would be doing homework. This became my habit: Putting something on the "To Do Later" list and never actually looking at that list, but favoring the vices of out current generation (video games, the internet, etc). There is nothing inherently wrong in any of those things, however when they become the priority there is something wrong.
Side Note: Another Christian line that we use so well is "I'll pray for you." I don't know about you, but I will admit (and apologize for doing this) that there are times when I say this and then never actually pray for the person. So instead I have made it a habit that when I know that I might forget the prayer request that I give a short prayer in my head for them after our conversation is done.
I could go into a Don't Waste Your Life speel now, but I feel like John Piper and Lecrae have done an adequate job, and all I would be doing is repeating what they have said. So instead I will send you to them, and make sure that I don't accidentally get credit for something they have said. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sh1wmPQA0QA - Piper; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbQyQavqqMI - Lecrae)
I could try to convince you to live your life to the (Christian) fullest. I could put up lists about how much time we waste on facebook, twitter, pinterest, playing video games, youtube - but that would only be a temporary guilt trip. I cannot make you use all your time wisely, that has to come from you. You have to put in the effort - you are not going to wake up one morning and all of a sudden have this urge (and if you do, congratulations). If you need someone to tell you to get off the internet here it is - GET OFF! CLICK THE EXIT BUTTON! (I mean it, stop reading what I have that comes after this isn't as important as you starting to use your time wisely.)
All I can say is that we should not fill our day with empty things; fill it with things that matter.
My prayer is that when you sit there pondering what to do you would ask yourself and seriously consider, do you have the time?
I know for me one of my favorite sayings while I was in college, and even still while I'm in seminary is "When I have time I'll...". This phrase is the 'Get Out of Jail Free Card' of the Christian walk. Now before you assume that I am saying that I am preaching a) a Gospel without works b) that Christians shouldn't plan ahead c) that Christians should never say no d)whatever you might be thinking, let me explain.
Whenever someone would recommend a book to read, a sermon to listen to, a video to watch (educational), or a Bible Study to go to - I would often respond "when I have time..." or "if I had time...". Now sometimes it was true, I didn't have to time to do that, I had other responsibilities that needed to get done. However, the amount of times that I would say that and then find myself staring at facebook, or watching youtube videos, or looking up sports stats/stories far outnumbered the times that I would be doing homework. This became my habit: Putting something on the "To Do Later" list and never actually looking at that list, but favoring the vices of out current generation (video games, the internet, etc). There is nothing inherently wrong in any of those things, however when they become the priority there is something wrong.
Side Note: Another Christian line that we use so well is "I'll pray for you." I don't know about you, but I will admit (and apologize for doing this) that there are times when I say this and then never actually pray for the person. So instead I have made it a habit that when I know that I might forget the prayer request that I give a short prayer in my head for them after our conversation is done.
I could go into a Don't Waste Your Life speel now, but I feel like John Piper and Lecrae have done an adequate job, and all I would be doing is repeating what they have said. So instead I will send you to them, and make sure that I don't accidentally get credit for something they have said. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sh1wmPQA0QA - Piper; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbQyQavqqMI - Lecrae)
I could try to convince you to live your life to the (Christian) fullest. I could put up lists about how much time we waste on facebook, twitter, pinterest, playing video games, youtube - but that would only be a temporary guilt trip. I cannot make you use all your time wisely, that has to come from you. You have to put in the effort - you are not going to wake up one morning and all of a sudden have this urge (and if you do, congratulations). If you need someone to tell you to get off the internet here it is - GET OFF! CLICK THE EXIT BUTTON! (I mean it, stop reading what I have that comes after this isn't as important as you starting to use your time wisely.)
All I can say is that we should not fill our day with empty things; fill it with things that matter.
My prayer is that when you sit there pondering what to do you would ask yourself and seriously consider, do you have the time?
