The Gift of Time. Are You Using it Wisely?
This past week I was reminded that time is a precious gift. Joanne Heim, a blogger of the Simple Wife, author and married mother of two suffered a stroke at thirty-eight years old. She is a wonderful sister in Christ who is now lying in a coma with severe brain trauma. The day before her stroke life was normal, she wrote about a funny incident that occurred at home and then suddenly she’s in the fight for her life. Another coworker of mine has swelling at the bottom of her brain and may need surgery in three months. These two incidents reminded of how quickly life changes and every minute matters. It got me thinking about how I’m using my time. Do I spend my time wisely? Am I spending it with the people I love and enjoy? Am I utilizing it to the best of my ability? Is my time spent doing God’s work?
I took a hard look at myself and realized that I’m not always making the best use of my time and changes were in order. I made some changes and was amazed at the difference in my life.
Tips I used on evaluating how I was spending my time:
Do You Spend too Much Time on Social Media?
Facebook, twitter, skype, and texting are all amazing ways to connect with people. My 20 year high school reunion was actually organized through Facebook, and I was grateful that technology enabled us all to connect again. However, it can be addicting. It is easy to spend hours on Facebook wasting away precious minutes and even hours. Sure, it is fine to log on, but everything should be done in moderation and boundaries should be established. The question to ask is if social media is competing with time spent with your family, God, and responsibilities? Take a day to monitor how often you surf the web or log on to Facebook if it’s excessive then it’s time to limit your usage. Try limiting yourself to logging in twice a day or take a sabbatical from it for awhile until you can get it under control.
Do You Spend Enough Quality Time With Your Family?
Families have busy schedules and too often they don’t spend enough quality time connecting with one another and enjoying each other’s company. Is your family’s schedule so busy that you rarely have time for a sit down meal? If it is then it is time to reevaluate everyone’s schedule. The one activity you don’t want your children to miss out on is bonding as a family. Schedule family night, make it mandatory that dinner is eaten around the table, and commit to spending time as a family together. Don’t get so caught up in the business of life and that you forget what really matters in life.
Are You Spending Time Utilizing Your Spiritual Gifts?
Our job as mom usually takes precedence over everything else. But, are you neglecting to utilize your spiritual gifts? God gave us spiritual gifts to serve others. We are to be servants in this world and are equipped to do so. The book of Romans and 1Peter addresses spiritual gifts and our responsibility to use them wisely and serve our brothers and sisters with the strength of God. Personally this was the area I needed to improve on drastically. Take time to pray and ask God what your gifts are and how He wants you to use them. Don’t neglect doing the work of God.
Do You Spend Enough Time Developing an Intimate Relationship With God?
Our top priority is developing an intimate relationship with God. Without Him nothing works! Our spiritual life needs to be nurtured on a daily basis. Prayer and scripture study has to be a constant in our life if we hope to do God’s will and to raise our family according to His word. Examine how much time you spend learning the word and talking with God? If it isn’t enough prayerfully ask God to help you organize your life so that you do spend the time you need to with Him.
Life can change in an instant and the time we are given is a gift that is sometimes taken for granted. Use your time wisely and focus on the areas of your life that matter most. Ask God to reveal those areas in in which your time is not being used wisely and be committed to making a change.
Copyright © Chere Williams, Moms of Faith, All Rights Reserved