CE 1 YEAR: 50 Your Time

Week 50

Your Time

Make the most of your time

At the beginning of creation, the Earth was just a lump of formless clay (Gen 1:2). Then God formed it into something that glorified God and blessed people. Do you realize your life is the same? God has given you a lump of clay to shape according to your desires. He wants you to shape your life into something that glorifies Him and blesses other people.

This is the immense “free will” God has given you (see Week 44). Of course, not all of your plans will succeed. Nor will all of your desires be fulfilled. God may intervene His “predestined will” in your life. The Bible says that we can make plans, but God can overrule them (Prov 16:9; 19:21). But do not ignore how much “free will” God has given you to create your life.

Every day is like a coin. You can only spend it once. Spend it in such a way to make the most of your life and your eternity (Matt 6:19-21).

In Week 10 you learned there is a book being written about you in Heaven (Rev 20:11-13). There you read:

The rest of your life is like a book with blank pages. And what gets written in the Book of Your Deeds Done for God is your decision from this day forward. Do deeds worthy of being recorded in your book in Heaven. And look forward to the reward Jesus will give you for all eternity.

God wants you to live a life worthy of His high “calling” on your life (Eph 4:1). The Greek word here (klēsis) means: “a commanding invitation to experience a special privilege and responsibility.” The position, privileges, purpose, and power you have are immense. Your position is a chosen, completely forgiven, and deeply loved child of the Ruler of the Universe. Your privileges include talking to Him anytime you want to. Your purpose is to serve and represent King Jesus on this Earth. Your power is that God’s Spirit lives in you.

Because God has given you so much, He expects a lot from your life (Luke 12:48). Jesus has chosen you to glorify God by producing much fruit from your life (John 15:8, 16). What does “much fruit” look like? It means being a great blessing to your family, church, and friends.

Remember something very important: Who God made you, and what He has given you, is God’s gift to you. Who you become, and what you do with your life, is your gift to God. There is no greater measurement of your gratitude to God than what you do with your life. Devote your life to making your real Dad proud!

How will you do this? The Bible says, “make the most of your time” (Eph 5:16). Your time is more valuable than your money. You will understand this as you get older. Making the most of your time means making the most of every relationship, responsibility, and resource God gives you. It means grabbing every moment of your life and redeeming its worth. Always being intentional to love someone, accomplish something, and never waste time. For example, do not waste the rest of your life doing the things that unbelievers enjoy. Live according to God’s priorities, not the world’s (1 Pet 4:2-3).

So many Christians fail to realize how much freedom, responsibility, and power God has given them. They think the outcome of their life depends primarily on what God intends and plans, rather than what they decide and plan. This sounds more spiritual, but it is unbiblical. God has given us the freedom and responsibility to make the most of our lives.

This is illustrated in Jesus’ parable about a master giving his servants money (Matt 25:14-30). The money represents all the resources you have including your time, relationships, opportunities, and spiritual gifts. Each person was given a different amount of money. Likewise, God gives each person unique potential and opportunities. God expects you to make the most of your life and circumstances.

Remember that God usually thinks you have been given more than you think. Do not make the mistake of the man in the parable with the least amount of money. He probably compared himself with the others and concluded his life was not worth much. So, he buried it in the dirt and did nothing with it. He wasted what the master had given him because he did not recognize how valuable it was.

But the Greek text says the other two servants started immediately (eutheōs) to invest what they had. Do you sense their urgency? Do you see how much they valued what they had been given? They focused the rest of their life on making the most of it. Why? Because they knew their master would return and evaluate how they had lived. Their greatest goal in life was to hear their master say, “Well done my good and faithful servant” (vs. 21, 23).

Is that the greatest goal of your life? Is that your greatest goal today? Will that be your greatest goal tomorrow and every day thereafter? Make the most of your time and life!

You cannot do anything about the past. Today is the first day of the rest of your life. How much potential does God see in the rest of your life? Will you live up to it? How much could you bless others if you grow in character, work hard, and make the most of your time, money, and opportunities? Will you make the most of your remaining time and life?

The essential difference between those who will, and those who will not, is this: What they believe. What do you believe about your identity, purpose, and power? This 50 week Christian Essentials study has taught you the truth about all of these things.

You have been given the rare gift of salvation (Section I: Christian Beginnings). What will you do with that?

You have the opportunity to glorify God, experience the greatest happiness on Earth, and earn eternal rewards for your life on the New Earth (Section II: Christian Motivations). Do you understand that what you do with your life really matters?

God says He is your real Dad who completely forgives and loves you and is for you (Sections III and IV: Christian Identity and Promises). Why waste time still trying to find your acceptance, security, and significance in this world?

You have been given the power of God through His Spirit in you, enabling you to love others like He does (Section V: Christian Power). Will you work to renew your mind, and trust God’s truth with your whole heart, so you can experience and use that power?

You have been given the knowledge of God’s will in Scripture, so you know how to make the most of your time and life (Section VI and VII: Christian Practices and Wisdom). Will you obey God’s commandments every day?

If you believe what God says about who you are, what you have, and what He expects of you, then you will live a God-glorifying, meaningful, fruit-bearing life. Those children of God who do not believe who they are, what they have, and what their Father expects of them, will waste a good deal of their life.

Plan your life

The Bible says the spiritual quality of your life will be evaluated one day with fire (1 Cor 3:13). Therefore, be careful how you build your life. Be a “wise master builder” like the Apostle Paul (1 Cor 3:10). It is impossible to carefully build anything, especially a life, without planning. Like Paul, we should always carefully plan our actions (2 Cor 1:17).

One reason people do not live up to their God-given potential is a lack of planning. They never invest the work and thought needed to set goals and determine strategies to accomplish those goals. Many believe making the most of their life is God’s responsibility. On the contrary, God says: Be very careful how you live. Do not be a fool but a wise person who is making the most of your time (Eph 5:15-16).

Planning the rest of your life can be helped by the following seven steps. They may seem a little overwhelming, but each one is well worth the time invested in it. And they will change your life in many good ways. These seven steps are:

1) Statements of Your Faith

2) Segment Your Roles

3) Set Goals for Your Roles

4) Strategies to Accomplish Your Goals

5) Schedule Your Strategies

6) Seek God Weekly

7) Stand by Your Noble Plans

Statements of Your Faith

We have already said that what we believe will determine what we do. It is vital that you recognize what biblical truths are especially important to you. Identify and memorize some verses in these two areas: 1) Promises that tell you how much God loves you; 2) Commands that help you focus on how you want to love God and people. What biblical promises and commands speak to you in a powerful way? What words of God especially encourage you? Many call these our “life verses.” These make up the “Statements of Faith” that your life is based on. Identify them, memorize them, and pray over them in your God Times. They will fuel the faith you need to live the best life you can.

Segment Your Roles

Every person has various responsibilities and roles in their life. As you get older, they increase in number. It is helpful to identify these so you can focus on making the most of each one. Start with these two: 1) Being a son (or daughter) of God; and; 2) Being a servant of God. Every Christian has these two roles in their life. What others do you have? Son or daughter of your parents? Spouse, parent, worker, church member, friend? Identify these different roles in your life so you can see different areas of your life to focus on.

Set Goals for your Roles

As you focus on each of your roles, determine what you want to accomplish in each one. What do you want in your relationship with God? How do you want to serve God? What kind of marriage do you want? What kind of parent do you want to be? What do you want to accomplish in your career? Write down specific goals for all of your roles.

One of the greatest dangers in life is wasting your time and life on things that do not matter. God warns you about “running aimlessly” in life (1 Cor 9:24-26). Many people allow life and other people to control them, instead of taking control of their own life. Setting goals for your roles helps you to focus your time and energy on what is really important.

God wants you to use the imagination He gave you, and dream about what you want to create with the rest of your life. Of course, you should be realistic. But remember the position, power, and promises God gives you and set your goals high. Do not set goals that only you can accomplish. But set goals you can accomplish with God’s Spirit in you, and His help in your life as you pray for these things. Remember, if your goals and prayers are the will of God, He will give you what you ask for (1 John 5:14-15; see Week 35). In fact, this verse and promise would be a very good “life verse.”

Strategies for Accomplishing Your Goals

Now think about the steps, habits, and tasks you can do to accomplish your goals in each of your roles. You will need to spend time with God to improve your relationship with Him. You need quality time with your spouse and children. You need to devote some time to serving your church if you are going to be faithful with your spiritual gifts. You may need to save money for something. Determine and record the strategies and commitments needed to accomplish the goals you have for each of your roles.

Schedule Your Strategies

Here is where the whole process of “making the most of your time” (Eph 5:15-16) starts becoming a reality. This is where you put the plans for your life in place. Every week God gives you 120 hours. Your work may require much of this time, and your goals and tasks there may be decided for you. But you still have “free” hours in your week for you to decide what to invest them in. When you create the schedule for your week, you are creating your life.

Even God scheduled His work of creation in a week (Gen 1:5-2:3). Notice He focused on one goal each day of the week. You might consider the same strategy as you schedule your week. Have one big focus or theme for each day. And notice that even God rested. He wants you to schedule time every week to be refreshed and renewed physically and spiritually.

God also created the sun and moon to divide time into months, seasons, and years (Gen 1:14; 7:11). Consider these segments of time as you schedule your life as well. What are things you want to do once a month, every three months, or once a year? Then record these activities and commitments in a weekly schedule and an annual calendar.

Seek God Weekly

We have encouraged you to have a God Time everyday (Week 32). But you should schedule a special Weekly God Time. Here you can pray about and evaluate your “Statements of Faith,” and your roles, goals, and scheduled habits. This will help you be encouraged to pursue all of these things. In particular, planning the week ahead would be especially important. A weekly God Time will help you maintain your plan for making the most of your time and life.

Stand by Your Noble Plans

God says: “The noble man makes noble plans, and by noble deeds he stands” (Isa 32:8). God thinks “a noble man makes noble plans.” This is what He is expecting of you. Make plans, and make them noble ones, worthy of glorifying Him. But it is not enough to plan.

“By noble deeds he stands.” A noble Christian pursues their noble plans by practicing noble deeds. The habits you have determined for your weekly schedule are the noble deeds that will enable you to accomplish your noble plans.

The Bible says of Abraham that his faith and actions worked together. His faith, goals, desires were accomplished because of what he did (James 2:22). Seek God for the diligence and strength to be faithful to do the “noble deeds” necessary to fulfill your “noble plans” for your God, your family, your career, and your ministry. If you do, you will create a life that glorifies God, and earns the greatest rewards for all of eternity.

Practical Application: Review the examples of “Priority Habits” and “Roles, Goals, & Strategies” on the following pages. Invest some time over the next few weeks to develop your own. This will help you make the most of your time and life!

In your small group meeting this week, share praises and prayer requests and then discuss these questions:

1) What does the Bible mean by your “calling”?

2) What does it mean to “bear much fruit” with your life?

3) Explain more fully what this means about your life: “Who God made you, and what He has given you, is God’s gift to you. Who you become, and what you do with your life, is your gift to God.”

4) According to Ephesians 5:15-16, how will you make the most of your life?

5) Why is it important to plan aspects of your life?

6) Why is it especially important to plan your “free time” in your weekly schedule?

7) As you review the “Priority Habits” and “Roles, Goals, & Strategies” on the following pages, what are things you especially want to make sure you begin to schedule and do?

Example of Roles, Goals, & Strategies

Roles	Goals & Outcomes	Strategies & Habits
1 Child of God	1) Not worrying about anything	Pray about my worries at the beginning of each day.
	2) Having an eternal perspective on life	Memorize verses on this.
	3) Recognize sinful feelings indicating I am not experiencing God’s love.	Evaluate this in my weekly God Time. Review my “life verses” about God’s love.
	4) Do not let lust win.	Evaluate in weekly God Time.
2 Servant of God	1) Be faithful in prayer	– Schedule daily and weekly God Time. – Pray with spouse and children every day.
	2) Do I feel angry toward anyone?	Evaluate this in my daily and weekly God Time and forgive people if necessary.
	3) Keep my priority habits	Review these in my Weekly God Time
	4) Be good steward of my money	Review giving and budget with spouse once a month
3 Spouse	1) Ensure my spouse feels respected and adored.	– Know their love language and do it (See Week 48). – Spend time with them at the end of each day. – Pray with them at the beginning of each day. – Have a weekly date. – Keep physical relationship enjoyable.

4 Parent	1) Pray daily for my children	Evening prayer with my spouse
	2) Control my toddlers	– Focus some time to establish my authority with discipline – Agree with spouse on clear and simple expectations
	3) Train my children in God’s ways	Agree with spouse on clear and simple expectations
	4) Have a friendship with my teens	– Schedule weekly dates – Schedule individual trips – Participate in what they do
	5) I will never be angry at my children	Evaluate in Weekly God Time.
5 Work	1) Col 3:23-24	Evaluate in Weekly God Time how I can perform job better.
	2) Share love and truth with lost workmates	Pray for workmates in daily and Weekly God Time.
6 Church	1) Attend Sunday service with my family & discuss the message.
	2) Treat my small group like family
	3) Give a tithe
	4) Serve in a ministry

Example of Priority Habits to be Scheduled

Role	Habit	Frequency
Child of God	P.O.W.E.R. Plan for a God Time (Week 32)	Daily
Child of God	My Weekly God Time	Weekly
Servant of God	Ministry at church	Weekly
Servant of God	Weekly small group fellowship	Weekly
Spouse	Time with spouse at end of day	Daily
Spouse	Pray with spouse in the morning	Daily
Spouse	Date night	Weekly
Spouse	Discuss budget with wife	Monthly
Parent	Family devotional time	Daily
Parent	Dates with children	Weekly
Parent	Family night	Weekly
Parent	Family ministry	Weekly
Parent	Family vacation	Annual