Make The Most Of Every Day, living the transformed life

Time Is A Gift

Life is made up of seasons, and can vary widely depending on the season you’re in. I am now a senior citizen. I’m in my seventies, and a lot of things are different now. One thing I’ve noticed is that I’m more cognizant of time. The fact that most of my life on earth is now behind me makes me more aware of the time I have left. I have no idea how long that will be, so I don’t want to waste it.

Time is a gift of God. It’s the great equalizer. It doesn’t matter whether you’re rich or poor, famous or unknown, young or not-so-young. Every one of us gets the same 24 hours a day.

Of course, that doesn’t mean 24 hours of free time, even if you’re retired like me. By the time we subtract sleep, work, meals, family responsibilities, household chores, church services, errands, assorted appointments, and all the other things that fill our calendars, those 24 hours can disappear remarkably fast.

And then there are the distractions. Oh, those distractions.

You sit down to check one email and suddenly you’re watching a video about a dog who learned to play the piano. You pick up your phone to answer one text and 45 minutes later you’re wondering how you ended up scrolling through somebody’s vacation pictures from three years ago.

We’ve all been there, haven’t we?

But as Christians, there’s a bigger reason to think carefully about how we use our time. We realize that time is a gift from God, and we’re called to steward that gift wisely. Paul wrote, “Be very careful, then, how you live– not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity” (Ephesians 5:15-16).

Notice that Paul doesn’t tell us to squeeze every possible ounce of productivity out of every minute. (That’s not what I’m saying, either). Paul is just telling us to live wisely.

Christian time management isn’t about becoming a human productivity machine. It’s about learning to use the time God has given us in ways that honor Him, serves others, and allows us us to live the life He intends for us.

So here are six practical ways we can stop wasting time and start making the most of every day.

Stop Saying Yes When You Really Want To Say No

Do you ever find yourself taking on more than you can handle? Someone asks you to do something, and before you’ve had time to think (or pray) about it, you’ve already agreed. Then you go home and think, “Why did I do that?”

Learning to say no isn’t selfish. Sometimes it’s wise stewardship.

There are certain times when God calls us to inconvenience ourselves for someone else. Jesus demonstrated sacrificial love throughout His earthly ministry. But that doesn’t mean we are required to accept every request, solve every problem, or make ourselves immediately available to everyone.

We all have limits. Jesus Himself did not say yes to every request of His time. He understood the importance of withdrawing from the demands of people and spending time alone with His Father.

Before saying yes, ask yourself if this is something God actually wants you to do. “No” can be a spiritual response. (If you have difficulty in this area, see my article “Knowing When To Say No.”)

You Don’t Have To Respond Right Away

We live in an always-connected world. Your phone buzzes. An email arrives. Someone sends a text. A social media notification pops us. And somehow we’re convinced that everything requires an immediate response.

It doesn’t.

Unless something is genuinely an emergency, most messages can wait. You don’t have to answer every text the moment it arrives. You don’t have to read every email as soon as it hits your inbox. and you certainly don’t have to check social media hundreds of times a day.

Consider setting aside specific times during the day to check email and messages. You’ll probably discover something interesting: the world doesn’t fall apart when you’re not on your phone.

In fact, you may find that you’re able to concentrate much better when you’re not constantly interrupting yourself. And that’s important because distraction doesn’t just consume a few seconds here and there. It can take significant time and mental energy to regain your focus.

The Bible says, “Let all things be done decently and in order” (1 Corinthians 14:40).

Order isn’t about controlling every minute. It’s about creating enough structure that distractions don’t control you.

Get Organized

How much time have you wasted looking for something you were absolutely certain you put somewhere? “It was here just a minute ago!” I have probably spoken those words more times than I’d care to admit. (I’ll bet you have, too).

A little organization can save an enormous amount of time. “A place for everything, and everything in its place.” Give important things a logical home. Keep your workspace reasonably uncluttered. Create systems for bills, paperwork, appointments, and other recurring responsibilities. And don’t underestimate the value of a simple daily to-do list.

You don’t need a complicated time management system with seventeen color-coded categories and an app that requires a masters degree to operate.

Sometimes a piece of paper works just fine. For me, it’s my desk calendar.

The Bible has a lot to say about diligence, planning, and doing things well. “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans” (Proverbs 16:3). Ask God for wisdom about how to organize your time.

Good organization doesn’t mean that everything will always go according to plan.

It simply means you’re less likely to spend your precious time searching for the keys you were holding five minutes ago.

Stop Doom-Scrolling

We live in difficult times. And thanks to modern technology, we can receive a steady stream of bad news from around the world 24 hours a day.

So you check the news in the morning. Then again during your break. Then again at lunch. And at dinner. And before you know it, you’ve spent an hour scrolling through one depressing story after another.

Staying informed isn’t wrong. But constant exposure to negative information isn’t healthy or spiritually productive. If you’re constantly consuming bad news, outrage, arguments, and fear-inducing headlines, don’t be surprised if you find yourself feeling anxious, discouraged, or angry.

The apostle Paul gives us a much better direction for our minds: “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable– if anything is excellent or praiseworthy– think about such things” (Philippians 4:8).

That doesn’t mean we stick our heads in the sand. It means we choose what we allow to occupy our minds.

Set boundaries around your news and social media consumption. And when you find yourself mindlessly scrolling, put down the phone. Take a deep breath. Look around you.

There’s a real world out there. And God is still in it.

Remember That Other People’s Problems Don’t Have To Be Yours

Okay, some of us have a hard time with this one. We care about people, so when someone we love has a problem, we immediately want to jump in and fix it.

That’s a good instinct– to a point.

Yes, the Bible absolutely calls us to care for one another. “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2).

But there’s a difference between helping someone carry a burden and taking responsibility for a burden God never asked you to carry.

You don’t have to get involved in every argument. You don’t have to listen to office gossip. You don’t have to solve every family disagreement. You don’t have to know every detail of someone else’s drama.

Sometimes loving someone means listening. Sometimes it means praying. Sometimes it means offering wise counsel.

And sometimes it means stepping back and allowing another adult to deal with the consequences of their own choices.

Ask God for wisdom to know the difference.

Your time and emotional energy are limited. Don’t spend them unnecessarily trying to manage lives that aren’t yours to manage.

Rest Is Not Wasting Time

This one may sound strange to some of you. But rest is not wasted time.

Neither is self-care: taking care of your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being.

Sometimes we confuse being productive with running ourselves into the ground. Eventually, exhaustion catches up with us. When you’re burned out (or getting crunchy around the edges), everything takes longer and requires more effort and energy. Your concentration suffers. Your patience disappears. Your decision-making becomes more difficult. And you eventually become sick and require even more time to recover.

The fact is, God designed us with limits. That’s one reason the principle of Sabbath is so important throughout scripture.

Jesus recognized the need for His disciples to rest: “Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, He said to them, ‘Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest'” (Mark 6:31).

Rest isn’t laziness. Sometimes, in fact, rest is obedience.

So make time to sleep. Be sure to eat properly. Spend time relaxing with people you love. Enjoy creation. Read your Bible. Spend a quiet moment in prayer.

You aren’t wasting time when you’re restoring the person who has to live the rest of your life.

Making The Most Of The Time God Has Given You

Let’s go back to where we started.

You have 24 hours a day. Tomorrow, you’ll get another 24– if that’s God’s plan.

We can’t save today’s hours for tomorrow. We can’t go back and reclaim yesterday’s time. All we can do is decide what we’ll do with the time God has placed in front of us right now.

And that’s why biblical time management isn’t about squeezing more tasks into an already crowded day.

It’s about living intentionally. It’s about knowing what matters– and what doesn’t. It’s about saying no to some things so you can say yes to the things God has actually called you to do.

It’s about making room for people. Making room for rest. Making room for prayer and God’s Word. And, sometimes, making room for absolutely nothing because you need to sit quietly and just breathe for a while.

James reminds us how temporary our time on earth really is: “You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes” (James 4:14).

That may not sound like the most cheerful thought in the world. But it can actually be liberating. Our lives are short. So let’s stop spending them on things that don’t matter. Instead, let’s ask God for wisdom to use our remaining days well. “Teach us to number our days, so that we may gain a heart of wisdom” (Psalm 90:12).

That’s the goal: to know what matters, and what doesn’t. To recognize the difference, and to use the time God gives us to love Him, love others, and live the transformed life He’s called us to live.

You can’t control how many days you have. But with God’s help, you can make every day count.

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“Never Too Old, Never Too Late”

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