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Christians should be good managers of life and wise stewards over all that God has entrusted to us; therefore wise time management is critical to the success of Kingdom building.

We are all familiar with the slogan, “Time waits for no one.” Unfortunately, our fast-paced society is in a race against time, which we are destined to lose unless we can miraculously change eternity. I am certain that in the course of a day you have sighed, “There’s not enough time in the day… I wish I had more time… I don’t have time.. If there were more hours in a day.. Where does the time go…? As a result, Daylight Saving Time. Wow!

Time has become such a major factor that we spend it learning how to manage it, if that makes sense. The market for time management seminars sky-rocketed in the late 80's - through the early 90's because of the demand from businesses and corporations. Yet, many of us sat in those time management classes and thought, “What a waste of time!”  Therefore, nothing has changed to certain degree.  Most of us are no better managers of time now than we were then, simply because of our attitude.

What’s more puzzling is that the race against the clock is to finish personal agendas—what’s important to me—what I have to accomplish within a limited timeframe, where I’ve got to go. Therefore, the importance of time and wise time management is misconceived.  It seems time is of the essence only when it is self-serving. But believe it not, time should be of the essence because we desire to take every opportunity given to draw nearer to God and help others. The clock is ticking and we cannot turn it back as much as we would like to. What we can do is prioritize our 'to-do-lists'?

It is very easy to misplace priorities and waste valuable time and energy on things that are really insignificant. If we spend time nourishing our spiritual life the way we do naturally, the Church of Jesus Christ (Body of Christian Believers) could turn this world upside down for the Kingdom of God! Instead, when it comes to the things of God, we act as though time is standing still! We are moving at a snail’s pace; in no hurry to accomplish anything for God.

As an advocate for Truth, let me sound the alarm! Get in the race! Set! Ready! Go! The stop watch is ticking and time is drawing near. When it stops how will you justify losing the race because of poor management of spiritual matters? We have no time for prayer. No time for Bible study. No time to visit the sick and shut-in. We certainly have no time for door-to-door witnessing! So then, how does most Christians spend their time these days? No doubt, the answer is status quo— taking care of our personal matters: work, business, work, business, house, car, dog, cat—you get the idea. Right. All the important stuff. Please don’t misunderstand my point. There are matters we must take care of.. That's all a part of life. However, nothing should be more important than our relationship with Jesus Christ. Time with God and for the things of of God should be at the top of our priorities.  When we manage our time wisely we'll make the necessary adjustments to ensure we spend quality time in the Presence of God.

A simple definition of time is God’s mercy. Clocks are only man made instruments that measure and track hours in a day. Time in light of God’s mercy is God given opportunities within a day to make a positive difference in society. Our society lives on the clock. But, I challenge you in your personal race against time to make an assessment. Ask yourself, “What are my chances of winning if I am not spiritually nor physically fit?” Be honest when making your assessment. Am I not spiritually fit because I don’t manage time for God or the things of God? Am I not physically fit because I have run myself ragged trying to complete my personal agenda? What’s the use? It seems logical to invest in something that is more valuable and will yield greater returns--time with God. I promise you the results will be rewarding.

So what if you don’t get everything done that you would like to in a 24-hour day? Will it determine your eternal destiny if you don’t see tomorrow’s dawning? I don’t think so. Time is of the essence because your destiny is at stake! Time is of the essence because life is too short and you are too fragile to face its challenges without God’s mercy and grace. You cannot afford to take for granted one minute. Therefore live wisely, not foolishly…redeeming the time—taking every God-given opportunity and making the best of it just to escape the evil of each day.

Embrace God’s mercy through prayer and meditation each day. Experience His grace that has been extended to all through His Son Jesus Christ. Seek diligently to find out what’s on His daily agenda for you personally. When God’s agenda becomes our priority, then TIME will stand still to make sure you complete the task assigned to you for that day. That’s what time management is really all about.

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