Did you really lose an hour?

 

“If there is no God, then there is no real significance to our lives, time simply becomes something to be filled and got through.” Melvin Tinker

 
For the next few days some will be complaining that they lost an hour with daylight savings time and the time change. Yet, if one doesn’t have a theistic worldview – so what? What does it matter if you “lost” an hour?
  Worldview makes all the difference when it comes to time. If there is no God (or if you live like there’s not one), then life has no ultimate meaning. If this short life is all there is, then it’s nothing more than what’s described in 1 Corinthians 15:32: “If the dead are not raised, ‘Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die’.” If all that ultimately awaits us is death, then hedonism makes sense – have fun, party, have all the pleasure that you can.
  But it’s not. Often, we foolishly think this is “the land of the living” and when you die, you go to “the land of the dying.” The Bible teaches the opposite. This world is “the land of the dying” yet for those who have trusted Christ as their Savior, they will live for eternity and are headed to “the land of the living.” The Bible also teaches that those who reject Christ are destined to eternal death or “the second death” (Revelation 20:11-15).
  Because this life is short, we need more of the intensity of a Dr. William Dodd. In 1777, Dodd, a well-known London pastor, was condemned to be hanged for forgery (the penalties were a bit more severe back then!). When his last sermon, delivered in prison, was published, a friend commented to famed English writer, Samuel Johnson, that the effort was far better than he had thought the man capable of. Dr. Johnson’s reply was so insightful: “Depend upon it, when a man knows he is to be hanged in a fortnight, it concentrates his mind wonderfully.”
  None of us have a certainty of tomorrow. It’s why we must be wise with the time that we have today. Ephesians 5:15-16, “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.” Yet so often we waste time. I know that I do. Here are some of the more common ways.
  We waste time through procrastination. When there’s a task to be done, stalling wastes time. For example, you don’t need to check your social media accounts before you begin a task. Instead, you can take short breaks to reward yourself with social media interaction after you complete a task.
  We waste time through perfectionism. Some important jobs merit careful, mistake-free work, but often, “good enough” will get the job done. Unless it’s surgery or the formula for a nuclear bomb, 80% is usually sufficient. It’s okay to let the little things go and not be obsessed with perfection in everything you do. It’s also okay to delegate things to others if you have too much on your plate.
  We waste time overanalyzing. Spending excessive amounts of time deliberating over inconsequential decisions fritters away time. For example, does it really matter what you have for lunch or what route you take on your next trip? If you struggle with overanalyzing, ask a couple of trusted friends or family members to help you arrive at a reasonable choice.
  We waste time overindulging. It’s not wrong to spend time shopping, watching TV, checking social media, or reading news stories. But these activities can crowd out more important pursuits. Ask God to help you discern what’s vital and should be your priorities. Then, recognize the feelings underneath your desire to overindulge and open your heart to receive His leading, encouragement and comfort instead. For any of us to be wiser time managers though, three things are necessary…
  We must know our purpose. For Christ-followers, our purpose is fairly simple – we’re to glorify our Heavenly Father (1 Corinthians 10:31). Our purpose is to become mature in Christ. After receiving His free gift of salvation, we seek to be useful in His service, and by the transforming power of the Holy Spirit, become more and more Christ-like in character.
  Spiritual maturity can’t be hurried. It takes time. In fact, it will take a lifetime. As Bruce Wilkinson, said, “God doesn’t want you to do more for Him. He wants you to be more for Him.”
  We must know our priorities. Once we know our purpose, we can evaluate our priorities. Prioritizing just means knowing which things are more important and which are less. Have you heard the story of Charles Schwab and Ivy Lee? Schwab was president of Bethlehem Steel. Lee, a consultant, was given an unusual challenge: “Show me a way to get more things done with my time.” Schwab agreed to pay him “anything within reason” if Lee’s suggestion worked. Lee handed Schwab a sheet of paper with this plan written on it:
  “Write down the most important tasks you have to do tomorrow. Number them in order of importance. When you arrive in the morning, begin at once on No. 1 and stay on it until it is completed. Recheck your priorities. Then begin with No. 2…then No. 3. Make this a habit every working day. Pass it on to those under you. Try it as long as you like. Then send me your check for what you think it’s worth.”
  That one idea turned Bethlehem Steel into the largest independent steel producer in the world within five years. How much did Schwab pay for that idea? He sent Lee a check for $25,000, with a note attached saying that this was the most profitable lesson he’d ever learned.
  If our priorities aren’t clear, we attempt more things than we should and don’t do any well, which causes stress. Setting priorities is tough because we must make hard choices and say no to some things. Often, we must say no to good things so we can say yes to the best. There’s never enough time for everything, but there’s enough time for the most important things.
  We must plan. That’s what Paul advises in Ephesians 5, “Be very careful, then, how you live…” We need to plan good habits like going to bed, getting up, spending time with the Lord, spending time with those we love, exercising, etc. Then, list out the tasks that are important for the day and week. If you can, plug them into a reasonable schedule (that’s difficult for mothers with young children or those whose priorities are set by their work superior), but it works well for the rest of us. If we fail to set some time boundaries, we tend to give a task more time than it requires.
  Each day is a gift from God. When we know our purpose, we can prioritize and plug those into a daily plan. In the end we can be confident that our Heavenly Father knows the last chapter of our earthly story and will bring us safely Home. As Philippians 1:6 says, “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

Can we help you spiritually? Please check out more resources on our church's web page, Gracechurchwi.org. Or call us at 262.763.3021. If you'd like to know more about how Jesus can change your life, I'd love to mail you a copy of how Jesus changed my life in "My Story." E-mail me at Carson@gracechurchwi.org to request a free copy. Please include your mailing address.