Only a Matter of Time (Friday Devotional)

 

Be careful, then, how you live, not as unwise people but as wise, making the most of the time, because the days are evil.

- Ephesians 5:15-16

Yesterday, we lived through something we only get once every four years: Leap Day, a.k.a. February 29. Created to synchronize the calendar year with the astronomical year—because an astronomical year actually lasts 365 ¼ days, not an even 365—the leap day is an idiosyncrasy in the otherwise mundane task of timekeeping.

Its effect is, every four years, we get something we all claim to want: more time. An extra 24 hours to complete tasks, an additional opportunity to get around to something you’ve been procrastinating, a 366^th day of the year to use as you see fit. Nevertheless, chances are you did the same things with that extra time you’d have done with any other day—work, meals, chores, family time, sleep.

We all dream of having more time; we convince ourselves that the clock is all that’s keeping us back from fulfilling our potential. But the trick is not finding more time, it’s wisely using the time we are given.

In Ephesians 5:15-16, Paul warns believers that the days in which we live are evil and unwise, that if we are left to our own devices and the whims of the culture, we will waste the time God has given us. So the Lord calls us not to conform to the patterns of the world, but to make the most of our time, using every precious moment to live for him.

So today, show kindness. Tell the truth. Encourage someone. Pray for wisdom. And in all things, seek God’s will. It’s quite the list of commands, but make no mistake: you have all the time you need.