How Much Time Do You Have?

Sunrise at Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico, by Pedro Olivo

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This photograph is in tribute of my

Aunt Connie Cantrell

who when home to be with the Lord yesterday.

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Years ago she was diagnosed with breast cancer

that went into remission and then came

back in the form of lung cancer two years ago.

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Connie had a loving heart that showed on her face

because she was ALWAYS smiling.

Not only was she a University Professor in Puerto Rico,

but she was a wonderful wife to my Uncle Richard,

and mother to Myra, Ricky and Sharon.

From my family to yours my deepest sympathy.

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Words of LIFE - Weekly Devotional

How Much Time Do You Have?

by Edward John

"Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom." (Psalm 90:12)

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Life can be like a boxing ring. We have to learn to "roll with the punches" by knowing when to duck, move to the side or throw a punch. It's a constant battle and one of our biggest opponents is time.

Everything seems to move at a faster pace today. Family, work, school, social activities and even church and demand our precious time. There does not seem to be enough hours of daylight to complete our daily chores. Our lives are dictated by a list of things to do. In order to rest, we have to put it on our schedule! We often find ourselves saying, "I need more time."

One would think that with all of our technology, we could save a little time. But it often adds to the load, as we e-mail people around the world, manage our Facebook account, Twitter our thoughts and emotions, and text each other on our cell phones (sometimes while driving!) It is ironic, because we think we're saving time when in reality we make it easier for the world to bombard our lives with more things to do and consume our precious time.

We need to ask ourselves, "Where has time gone? And what are we really here to accomplish?"

It is time to wake up and enter the real arena of battle. We must recognize our real enemy and understand his strategy. We need to reclaim our ground and regain our positions as leaders under the command of our King, Jesus Christ.

The first step towards doing this is realizing that busyness is not necessarily effectiveness. Our time may be consumed with activity, but that does not mean that we are accomplishing everything that God has planned for us. God wants us to be effective, fruitful and peaceful, not busy, stressed and annoyed. The Word of God is a double-edged sword and when we learn to live our lives by His word, we can cut, slice and divide our lives into proper portions and begin to effectively live for His Kingdom. When we live by His word, we are able to differentiate right from wrong, good from bad, wide from narrow, and straight from crooked.

This is where time is redeemed and effectiveness is achieved. Jesus holds time in his hands, so He is the master of making our lives effective. Jesus was never swayed by what men thought was right or wrong. Even well-meaning people sought to tell Him what to do, but He only did what He saw His Father doing. This is the key to life! We must learn how to operate by the same standard as Jesus. We must learn to say "yes" to God and "no" to everything else.

We tend to fight battles that are of no consequence, beating aimlessly into the air. We don't recognize our true enemies, so we don't know what battles to fight. We must learn to redeem our time on this earth by choosing to fight the right battles.

So how do we know which battles are ours? How do we know how to spend our precious time? The Psalmist heard the Lord say, "I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you." (Psalm 32:8) We need wisdom to know how to use our time -- wisdom that can only come from above. Once again, the greatest source for wisdom is the Word of God. "Take hold of my instructions; don’t let them go. Guard them, for they are the key to life." (Proverbs 4:13)

Time is short. In fact, it's running out! But we can be Christians of excellence. We can be effective for his Kingdom. We can be consumed with a peace that passes understanding, instead of the stress of this world. Godly wisdom and direction will not only bring each of us more personal fulfillment, but it will help us better serve the Kingdom of God while making the most of our time.

THIS WEEK Take stock of your days. What is consuming your time? Ask the Lord where you should increase your focus. Leave behind those things that needlessly bring you stress and rob you of your time.

PRAYER "Lord, help me spend more time in Your Word so that my life can be a double-edged sword. Divide those things that are essential from those that are not. Give me Your wisdom to make the most of the time You have given me here on earth."

Grace Like Rain - Aaron Keyes