Making the Most of Time

Read:

"Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil." Ephesians 5:15

Examine:

Paul writes a lot on the free gift of grace, the forgiveness of sin, and the eternal security of our salvation. He had a clear understanding of the freedom created for us in Christ's sacrificial death and victorious resurrection and taught that with great passion and clarity. He also had a clear understanding of how critical it was that we not use this freedom as an opportunity for the flesh to carry us away and to not waste the time we have on earth pursuing things that do not lead to God. We are to be careful of how we walk.

Apply:

As I look at this morning's text I am really captured by verse one's call for me to be an imitator of God. This verse brings to mind a picture from my childhood of me hunting with my dad. I would always walk behind him and try to step in his footsteps. That is what this verse means to me. I need to be so close to God that I see the imprint of His feet before me and I need to put my feet only where His tread.

As I step where God steps there are a couple things of which I can be certain. First, God's steps will only lead to love. God is love and everything that He does He does out of His love for others. If I am truly walking after Him then there will be a clear and distinctive love for others spilling out of my life and touching the hearts of those close to His. Second, my steps will lead me far away from immoral choices. A majority of the text in this chapter speaks to behavior that is not becoming of a wise man whose heart is committed to walking after God. Grace does not offer a permit to carry immorality; in fact quiet the opposite is true. Grace necessitates purity. I can not experience God's grace and not follow after Him. I can not follow after Him and continue in sin. Grace covers my slips and my weaknesses but it is always going to carry me away from sin.

Pray:

Father there are two strong convictions I feel this morning. The first is I am convicted of my anger. Your Word tells me that it is not a sin to be angry, only do not sin in it. I have sinned in my anger. I carry in my heart hurt and anger towards some people in my life who have wronged me. I see them and my flesh crawls and my mind churns on things that are not right. I can be quiet vindictive and have a tendency to carry accounts and records against others. Forgiving deep hurts, refusing to fight malicious attacks, and trusting You to be my defender are all shortcomings I currently face. I ask that You heal my heart and forgive me for playing God over the lives of others. You did not leave me on earth to judge and my refusal to let things go has been an enormous waste of the time You have given me to impact eternity.

The second conviction I feel this morning is the nature of my sense of humor. I love to laugh. It is one of the most incredible gifts You gave to humanity. I can find humor in most anything and love to celebrate this gift with others. Most of my humor is healthy and harmless, but I can also cross a line and make fun of things that are not funny to You at all. My pursuit of humor can lead me to hurt the feelings of others, to make light of things that devastate You, and create an opportunity for me to watch things that feed my flesh. I ask You to help me guard my humor today. Lead me in wisdom as I desire to avoid becoming too serious yet maintain a sense of respect and dignity.

In all these things I desire to make wise use of the time You have given me here on earth. I only have one life to impact eternity and I want to use that time well.