Psalm 39:4-7
We all need downtime to rest and to worship, to still ourselves before God, to think about our lives and to listen to His voice. The paradox is that we may not have anything to show for these truly productive moments.
There is great freedom in learning to operate with an eternal perspective and not just by the watch on our wrist.
A regular time of rest and recovery, a sabbath, is essential in our schedules.
We need to become attuned to a greater measure of time than mere clocks and calendars.
If you knew you only had 30 days to live…
1) Wouldn’t you want to take more time to linger over a meal with your family?
2) To inhale the rich aroma of a cup of coffee as you watch the sunrise through your kitchen window?
3) To cheer your son at his basketball game?
4) To read a meaningful book, poem, or passage of Scripture?
5) To take a walk through the piny woods, listening to the birds chatter?
None of these events will produce a product or allow you to point to an accomplishment. But they’re essential to our well-being. I’d venture that most of your precious memories occurred in spontaneous moments when you were paying attention to the present. We’re created for more than work. Our value is so much more than what we do.
Make the most of your time by applying your energy to the areas that are your ongoing priorities. Keep in mind the legacy you want to leave behind—in the work you do, through the relationships you keep, and by the way you spend each day. We were not designed to be slaves to time. We were created to be active and present in the lives we’ve been given. Make the most of your time by spending it on a legacy that will last long after your time on earth has ended. Do it today!
None of us would presume to be more productive than God, yet we often act as if we can’t afford to stop, to pause, to still ourselves and rest at a soul level. If we’re going to manage our time in such a way that maximizes it, then we must be willing to live by an eternal clock, listening to God in our lives as well as listening to our bodies and hearts.
Make the most of your time by applying your energy to the areas that are your ongoing priorities. Keep in mind the legacy you want to leave behind—in the work you do, through the relationships you keep, and by the way you spend each day. We were not designed to be slaves to time. We were created to be active and present in the lives we’ve been given. Make the most of your time by spending it on a legacy that will last long after your time on earth has ended. Do it today!
How would you describe your current season of life? Does it feel like you’re buried beneath frozen tundra, emotionally hibernating? Or is it more like spring, with signs of new life in view? What does it mean for you to accept and honor your current season?