Making the Most of Our Time
“Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil. ”
With the closures of businesses, schools, universities, and places of worship, we all find ourselves spending more time at home. Some employees are now being forced to work from home while some have been terminated due to businesses closing. The recent COVID-19 pandemic has significantly interrupted our entire way of life.
As parents with children at home, we might think of this as one long vacation where we binge-watch Netflix movies or have never-ending pajama parties. Or if you are at home, you are glued to the never-ending cycle of COVID-19 pressroom meetings and “breaking news” updates. We are awake but feel like we’re in a dream. Reality sinks in and reminded that we are in a mandated shelter-in-place order by our governing authorities and we can’t leave our homes to go back to work, school, or gatherings. We find ourselves disoriented in our new world and unable to make the most of our time. How can we best make the most of our time?
1) Time. Think carefully about time. Whether you’re single, married, have children or retired we have all been given the same twenty-four hours. Time itself is a constant and no respecter of person, ethnicity, political bent, Christian or non-Christian. God operates within time and gives us the following warning of how to best use our time:
Hebrews 3:13 But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called “Today,” so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.
Maybe you have never considered eternal things and have always assumed you were a Christian because you find yourself surrounded by Christians or going to a Christian church or have been raised in a home where your parents are Christians. But are you a Christian?
Have you confessed your sin before God and repented from them and embraced Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior? Has there been a change in your life from sinful patterns towards new patterns of righteousness and Christ-likeness? If not stop playing games with God and with people. Do not let sin harden you but instead get serious with God, fall on your face and humbly cry out to God for the forgiveness of your sins and embrace Jesus the only savior of men.
2) Learn. Twenty-four hours in a day. How will you look back at this strange providence of God? I encourage you to spend it wisely by making the most of it. Have you ever said the following things?
I wish I had time to read this book
I wish I had time to have this important conversation
I wish I had time to learn or study this new skill
I wish I had time to learn to pray (you learn this one by doing more of it!)
Glorify God by spending your time well as you learn things that please Him (2Cor 5:9).
3) Lead. As a Christian parent, you are the leader in your home. Specifically, fathers lead your families well during this time. Be an example by being constantly in the Word your self. Remember
“You can’t give what you don’t have.”
We have a unique opportunity to grow and one of the ways to grow is when you lead. As Christian parents, your children need you now more than ever. You may have depended too much on your pastors in the church. Remember, if you are a Christian, God has given you His Spirit and given you pastors and teachers to equip you for the work of ministry (Eph 4:12-16). Think of all that you have learned at TCBC and share them with your family. You may feel like you’re not equipped to lead your children but remember you know more of the Bible then the children in your home! Read to them the Scriptures and lead a discussion. For example:
Read John1:1-14 and talk about the divine and human nature of Jesus as both God and Man.
Read John 3:16 and ask about how Jesus was sent by the Father because of the Father’s love for the world.
Read Genesis 1 and discuss how God created three spaces to fill: light, sky and sea, dry land (days 1-3) and how God fills the spaces: sun/moon/stars; birds/sea creatures; animals and humanity (days 4-6). God created order for his world until sin entered in.
4) Love. As a busy student or parent, you may have found yourself neglecting the relationship in your home. Maybe you have taken your parents for granted or your siblings for granted. Or as a busy parent, you may have been traveling for work or have found yourself in such a fixed schedule that the most important part of the family structure was lost, namely talking. Now is a great time to make up for the lost opportunities as you get to know them again, pray with them or for them. Think of ways to enjoy time together by playing games in the house, going out for walks or hikes in open areas.
Love your neighbors during this time as well. Maybe there are elderly folks in your neighborhood that are unable to get out and get supplies. Avail yourself to them and let them know you can help.
“Involve your family members and serve your neighbors as a family. Maybe these opportunities will provide an open door for the Gospel as you share with them the good news.”
5) Sing. Colossians tells us that we are to teach one another in music (Col 3:16) as the Word of Christ dwells in us. Learn a hymn a song and sing it together as a family. Talk about the song and how the lyrics make lift you up because they are from the Word of God. A great website to learn new music would be Church Works Media, where all the songs are free and come with lyrics. Piano/Guitar chord charts are all free to download. With the extra time you’ve been given from driving to work, class, or shuttling kids to their activities, learn new music.
“Singing, was what the Puritans called the recreation of the redeemed. Sing unto the Lord a new song!”
The Lord has allowed us to go through this period of history. While the circumstances are the same, time remains the same. We all have the same twenty-four hours of time. Let’s spend it for the glory of God!
In Christ,
Patrick