Time is the currency of this dimension. In the spiritual realm, we exchange faith for what we are after—the promises of God. In the natural realm, we exchange time for the things we are after. If you want better relationships, you have to invest time with people. If you want to change your body, you have to invest time exercising. If you want to advance in your career, you spend time working towards that goal. You probably have a list of New Year's resolutions that you're working on and in order to see them come to pass, you have to invest time for those things, too.
As my friend, Tommy Barnett shares in his new book, "The Power of a Half Hour" thirty minutes can wreck or redeem a life. Think about all you can do in thirty minutes; have lunch, watch television, check Facebook, or work on your goals and dreams, get ahead, build a relationship, or grow with God. The time passes anyway. You decide if that time is used to help you get ahead or not.
Tommy says in his book, "We take a lot of things for granted in our lives, such as gravity, air, daylight—and time. Yet time is one of God's most precious gifts to us. It is the most significant nonrenewable resource at our disposal. We have less of it remaining with each passing day. When God gave this gift, He intended for us to use it carefully, intentionally, wisely, and productively.
If your life is a gift from God (and it is) and time is the organizational foundation of that life, then you are honoring His plan and blessing Him with the fruit of your life when you use your time well. When you serve another person, you are honoring that person with the unique outcome of your irreplaceable existence. Your time is invaluable. You will never get lost time back—and nobody can eliminate the results of time well-invested. A wise person will try to use his time for the highest purpose."
Today, I just want to encourage you to evaluate how you are using your time day in and day out. We are all given the same 24 hours, it's what we do with it that makes a life. There's no better time to start making changes then right now, at the first part of the new year. Why don't you pick up a copy of "The Power of a Half Hour" and follow the Personal Action Plans that will help you keep your day on track. Turn your fleeting minutes into defining moments and boldly embrace the destiny God has in store for you!
"Be careful then how you live, not as unwise people but as wise, making the most of the time, because the days are evil. So do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is." (Ephesians 5:15-16)