|
|
Making the Most of Our Time
by Dr. Paul Chappell
“Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving; Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds: That I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak. Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time.”
Colossians 4:2–5
Looking at the accomplishments of his life, it’s hard to believe that Charles Spurgeon only lived fifty-seven years. He wrote around 150 books, pastored what was at the time the largest church in the world, ran an orphanage, led a Bible college, and preached four to ten times each week. It is said that he even knew the names of the more than 6,000 members of the Metropolitan Tabernacle in London. How did all that happen? It happened because he used his time wisely. Spurgeon said, “I wish it could be said of us that we wasted neither an hour of our time, nor an hour of other people’s time.”
While each of us have different gifts, talents, and abilities, all of us get the same twenty-four hours each day in which to work. The reality is that while many people are busy, much of their activity is far from productive. Our society glorifies vacations and retirement, but while there is nothing wrong with taking care of our health and proper rest, most people are not suffering from overwork.
The most precious resource God has entrusted to us is time. And it is up to us to fill the time He has gifted to us with positive and productive effort for Him. No amount of talent can make up for an unwillingness to work. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote:
The heights by great men reached and kept
Were not attained by sudden flight,
But they, while their companions slept,
Were toiling upward in the night.
Colossians 4:2–5
Looking at the accomplishments of his life, it’s hard to believe that Charles Spurgeon only lived fifty-seven years. He wrote around 150 books, pastored what was at the time the largest church in the world, ran an orphanage, led a Bible college, and preached four to ten times each week. It is said that he even knew the names of the more than 6,000 members of the Metropolitan Tabernacle in London. How did all that happen? It happened because he used his time wisely. Spurgeon said, “I wish it could be said of us that we wasted neither an hour of our time, nor an hour of other people’s time.”
While each of us have different gifts, talents, and abilities, all of us get the same twenty-four hours each day in which to work. The reality is that while many people are busy, much of their activity is far from productive. Our society glorifies vacations and retirement, but while there is nothing wrong with taking care of our health and proper rest, most people are not suffering from overwork.
The most precious resource God has entrusted to us is time. And it is up to us to fill the time He has gifted to us with positive and productive effort for Him. No amount of talent can make up for an unwillingness to work. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote:
The heights by great men reached and kept
Were not attained by sudden flight,
But they, while their companions slept,
Were toiling upward in the night.
Today’s Growth Principle:
If we use our time wisely and well, we can accomplish the work God has given us to do for Him.
No comments:
Post a Comment