The Time of Your Life

Time is priceless because it can never be replaced, recovered or revoked.  John Maxwell used to tell us as a staff “You can tell a person’s priorities by looking at their checkbook and their calendar.”  How we spend what most would consider our top resources – our money & our time – tells a lot about us.  Here’s a little acronym I use to help me stay on track with my time:

T – take your time seriously. 

Psalm 39:5 says that each man’s life is “but a breath”.  We need to be very aware of how we spend our time.  I’m not saying we have to be serious all the time – having fun is important! - but we need to be serious about our time.

I – invest your time, don’t spend it.

This comes down to a mindset.  How do you approach your day?  How do you approach your week, month, year?  When we take our time seriously, we approach it as an investment – getting as much return on investment as possible – rather than an expenditure. 

M – maximize the moments

A couple of days ago my son started excitedly telling me something about his day.  I was engaged in some “important” stuff, but when I had to ask him to repeat himself, I realized my brain wasn’t engaging in the moment I should have been.  I stopped, focused on him, and listened.  It was the type of  moment that I soon will long for (he’ll be off to college in 5 short years). Moments happen everyday – with your kids, wife, friends & co-workers…even just moments of reflection as you go through your day – learn to maximize them, according to your defined core values - you won’t get these moments back, and you will rarely regret maximizing them.

E – engage in the process of life

Life is unpredictable.  There are times when you’re actively in the game, moving the ball down the field, and times when you’re on the sidelines watching (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 talks about the seasons of life).  All are important, and none are surprises to God.  I love Psalm 139:16 where it says God knew my days before I was born – He’s not surprised by anything!  Now, I know we make decisions that affect our days, but it says it right there – God knows my days before I was born (yea, don’t hurt yourself trying to reconcile those two concepts!).  Whatever “season” you are in, engage it with your time and allow God to work and move in you to accomplish the tasks, the healing, the equipping, the ministry – whatever it is He has designated that season in your life for. 

Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be.
      Remind me that my days are numbered—
      how fleeting my life is.
 You have made my life no longer than the width of my hand.
      My entire lifetime is just a moment to you;
      at best, each of us is but a breath.

Psalm 39:4-5 (NLT) 

For a more complete Biblical study on time, visit here.