Dear Beloved of Christ at KCPC,
We have been redeemed by the precious blood of Christ so that we will walk wisely, making the best use of our time in this present age. In all we do, we are to seek to be imitators of God as His Beloved children (Eph. 5:1-2).
We are taught:
ESV Ephesians 5:15-17: Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
What is the “best use†of our time? Not merely a good use of time, but the best? This calls for wisdom. God promises to generously give His children wisdom when they ask for it:
ESV James 1:5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.
We are taught clearly in Ephesians 5 that sin is humanity’s biggest waste of time! Why? Because sin is a huge waste of the life that God has graciously given to us, it is offensive against God, dangerous to us, and obnoxious to others, and it is contrary to the purposes for which we were created (cf. Eph. 5:3-14).
What do we do? Let us daily seek to keep Christ in the center, always moving toward Him as our center. (We are no longer the center; we have been redeemed from sinful, wasteful self-centeredness). Let’s ask God for wisdom. One way that might help us is to remember 5 ‘Rs’:
Review.
Each day review your life before Christ’s throne of grace. Knowing He is gracious, forgiving, and full of power to aid you by His Spirit.
Receive.
Each day receive the grace and wisdom through the Spirit that Christ our Mediator is committed to giving to us.
Repent.
Each day seek to hate your sins, particularly the way you waste your time that is a precious gift from God. Mourn, knowing you shall be comforted.
Realign.
Each day seek to put Christ first, seeking His Kingdom. Get the pattern and rhythm of your week focused by keeping the Lord’s Day holy.
Remove.
Each day remove from your life, your already weighed-down cart, things that distract you, and keep you from giving and doing your best for the glory of God!
Our Dutch forefather Willem Teellinck (d. 1629) sets the bar exceedingly high in a poem he wrote on the use of time. But it is worth our consideration to at least consider what was most important to him, and to aspire to greatness in Christ, even though we will not attain this fully until we see Christ face to face (The Apostle Paul also sets a high standard for all Christians who are mature in Philippians 3:9-16).
“Worship our God four hours a day,
Let three for food come into play.
Sleep seven more, less if you can,
Give eight others to the work of man.
And two to help the mind to understand.
If you, this way, your time so use,
You’ll find your soul has none to lose!â€
Let’s aim high at KCPC. Let’s soar with the eagles. We are already seated with Christ in the Heavenly Places, so let’s live like it! (Col. 3:1-3; Eph. 2:5-7). Let’s live wisely as God’s dearly loved children, seeking to make the most of our time—each and every day.
ESV Psalm 90:12 So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.
Write out your funeral eulogy. How do you want to be remembered? How can you best use your time to make this so?!
IN Christ’s love,
Pastor Biggs