God loves to shower His people with gifts. I'm sure you'll agree with me when I say that the most precious gift He has given to us is His grace that offered us eternal life. What a gift! Another gift He's given to each of is... TIME. We may not see it as a gift, but it really is. This verse in Ecclesiastes speaks of a reality we often forget... we have all been given time. But we also know that one day that time will run out. I'm talking about right now, right here. One day we will no longer be here... we will be in heaven with Jesus.
As much as I long for that day (in fact, my heart aches to be with Jesus forever), the reality of it all is that I'm still here, with time on my side. And since the Lord has given me time and I do not know when it will run out, I do not want to waste it. Trust me... it's very easy to waste it. I could spend my time scrolling through social media, watching television, playing games, reading novels... etc. Now, hear me... these things are all good and enjoyable when done in moderation. But if I spend all my time doing these things, then I've wasted some valuable time the Lord has given to me... time to
engage in God's work, minister to others, and share the gospel.
I'm still in the race. So are you. I'm confident that we have our eyes focused on the finish line. One day, we will cross over it. But I don't want to get to the end and regret that I didn't use my time wisely, for the Kingdom of God. I think that's why Solomon wrote the book of Ecclesiastes. In his book, he calls wasted living "chasing after the wind." And he spent years doing just that. I think he had great regrets.
This is what I want.... I want to get up every day with purpose, asking... "Lord how can I help someone today? How can I make a difference today? What can I do to bring glory to you today?" When we start off the day with these questions, then I'm pretty sure we will be more intentional about using our time wisely. Will you join me in using wisely what God has given to us... TIME? How will you make a difference today? Let these words encourage you.