The Talent of
Time
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“Brothers, I
do not consider myself yet to have
taken hold of it.
But one thing I do: Forgetting what
is behind and straining
toward what is ahead, I press on
toward the goal to win
the prize for which God has called me
heavenward in
Christ Jesus. Philippians
3:13,14. NIV
The New Testament book
of Philippians was written by Paul in
60-62 A.D. from a Roman Prison. While
on his second missionary journey,
Paul established the Philippian
church whose predominate members were
Gentiles. He had a special love
for these believers, a love that they
reciprocated. Despite being in jail
and unsure of his earthly future,
Paul uses the time to write a letter
to the Philippians – a book of
joy through Christ.
Our Time Belongs to
God
In the beginning God
created man in His own image and
placed them in a beautiful garden
home. They were given authority over
all other living creatures on earth.
The first couple was happy in Eden
until they disobeyed their Creator.
This act allowed Satan to claim
ownership of the earth. However, a
plan had been devised to conquer the
fallen angel. Jesus, God’s only
begotten Son, came to pay the penalty
of our sins, buying back, with his
blood, the ownership of this world.
“Do you not know that your body
is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who
is in you, whom you have received
from God? You are not your own; you
were bought at a price. Therefore
honor God with your body.
1 Corinthians 6:19,20.
Let us devote our time and our means
to the service of God, that we may
have his approval and receive His
reward.
Paul’s
Perspective on the Past
Paul came from a very
privileged family and was educated by
the most influential of Jewish
schools. However, his upbringing
afforded him little. His life was
centered on the persecution of
Christians and in doing so he had
been persecuting Christ. Paul could
have looked at the past with regret,
but he looked at his past experiences
with a desire to learn from them.
“Whatever the mistakes or
failures of the past, we may, with
the help of God, rise above them.
With the apostle we may say:
“This one thing I do, forgetting
those things which are behind, and
reaching forth unto those things
which are before.” Philippians
3:13.” KJV.
Paul’s
Perspective on the Present
Paul made a conscious
decision to make the most of the
present. He decided to reach
“forth unto those things which
are before.” He did not look
back at his life with either pride or
remorse; he chose to make the most of
the time he had remaining to work for
the Lord. He developed singleness or
purpose to do what he could to better
his character and share the gospel of
Christ with what time and strength he
had left. “Singleness of
purpose, wholehearted devotion to God
is the condition pointed out by the
Savior’s words. Let the purpose
be sincere and unwavering to discern
the truth and obey it at whatever the
cost, and you will receive divine
enlightenment. Real pity begins when
all compromise with sin is at an end
We, like Paul, must
make the most of our time God has
given us to develop characters that
will glorify Christ. In doing this,
our lives can be a wonderful witness
of the power of a living Christ.
Paul’s
Perspective on the Future
“I press toward
the mark for the prize of the high
calling of God in Jesus Christ.”
Philippians 3:14 KJV. Paul was
in jail as he was writing this
letter, a place of despair, doubt,
fear, and anger. Yet, he looked at
his present condition with hope and
joy, for he knew well Who held the
future. He knew that there was a hell
to shun and a heaven to gain and so
pressed toward the mark of the high
calling of Jesus. Each of us, no
matter what our current situation,
can look forward to heaven and the
wonderful reward that Christ has
prepared for the faithful.
It is the work that we
do or do not do that tells with
tremendous power upon our lives and
destinies. God requires us to improve
every opportunity for usefulness that
is offered us. Neglect to do this is
perilous to our spiritual growth. We
have a great work to do. Let us not
pass in idleness the precious hours
that God has given us in which to
perfect characters for heaven. We
must not be inactive or lazy in this
work, for we do not have a moment to
spend without purpose or object. God
will help us to overcome our wrongs
if we pray and believe on Him. We can
be more than conquerors through Him
who has loved us. When the short life
in this world has ended, and we see
as we are seen and know as we are
known, how short in duration and how
small will the things of this world
appear to us in comparison with the
glory of the better world!
Now is the time to
perfect our characters for heaven.
Now is the time to present Christ to
a dying world. Like Paul, we must
learn from the past and then forget
it. Our thoughts need to be focused
on Christ and His reward for the
faithful. Living the present to the
fullest for Christ, and looking to
the future He has prepared for us,
will make the present a glory to both
ourselves and also those around us.
Improper Use of Time
Sleeping too long
– The bright morning hours
wasted by many in bed. These precious
hours, once lost, are gone never to
return; they are lost for time and
eternity. Only one hour lost each
day, and what a waste of time in the
course of a year! Let the slumberer
think of this and pause to consider
how he will give an account to God
for lost opportunities. This lifetime
is too short to be squandered in vain
and trifling diversion, in
unprofitable visiting, in needless
dressing for display, or in exciting
amusements. We cannot afford to
squander the time given us of God in
which to bless others and in which to
lay up for ourselves a treasure in
heaven. We have too much time for the
discharge of necessary duties…
By neglecting these essential duties
and confronting to the habits and
customs of fashionable, worldly
society, we do ourselves and our
children a great wrong.
Acquirement of wealth
– That time is worse than lost
to parents and children devoted to
the acquirement of wealth, while
mental improvement and moral culture
are neglected. Earthy treasures must
pass away, but nobility of character,
moral worth, will endure forever. If
the work of parents be well done, it
will through eternity testify of
their wisdom and faithfulness. Those
who tax their purses and their
ingenuity to the utmost to provide
for their households costly apparel
and dainty food, or to maintain them
in ignorance and useful labor, will
be repaid only by pride, envy,
willfulness, and disrespect of their
spoiled children.
Justifying self –
If pride and selfishness were laid
aside, five minutes would remove most
difficulties. Angels have been
grieved and God displeased by the
hours that have been spent in
justifying self. I saw that God will
not bow down and listen too long
justifications, and He does not want
His servants to do so, and thus
precious time be wasted that should
be spent in showing transgressors the
error of their ways and pulling souls
out of the fire.
Disorder and
disorganization – Washington,
the nation’s statesman, was
enabled to perform a great amount of
business because he was thorough in
preserving order and regularity.
Every paper had its date and its
place, and no time was lost in
looking up what had been mislaid. Men
of God must be diligent in study,
earnest in the acquirement of
knowledge, never wasting an hour.
Through persevering exertion they may
rise to almost any degree of eminence
as Christians, as men of power and
influence. But many will never attain
superior rank in the pulpit or in
business because of their unfixed
ness of purpose and laziness of
habits contracted in their youth.
Careless inattention is seen in
everything they undertake. A sudden
impulse now and then is not
sufficient to accomplish a
reformation in these ease-loving,
indolent ones; this is a work that
requires patient continuance in well
doing. Men of business can only be
successful only by having regular
hours for rising, for prayer, for
meals, and for retirement. If order
and regularity are essential in
worldly business, how much more so in
doing work for God.
Self Seeking - It is
wrong to waste our time, wrong to
waste our thoughts. We lose every
moment that we devote to
self-seeking. If every moment were
valued and highly employed, we should
have time for everything that we need
to do for ourselves or for the world.
In the expenditure of money, in the
use of time, strength, opportunities,
let every Christians look to God for
guidance. “If any of you lacks
wisdom, he should ask God, who gives
generously to all without finding
fault, and it will be given to
him.” James 1:5
Lack of purpose or
object – It is the work that we
do or not do that tells the
tremendous power upon our lives and
destinies. God requires us to improve
every opportunity for usefulness that
is offered us. Neglect to do this is
perilous to our spiritual growth. We
have a great work to do. Let us not
pass in idleness the precious hours
that God has given us in which to
perfect characters for heaven. We
must not be inactive or lazy in this
work, for we have not a moment to
spend without a purpose or object.
God will help us overcome our wrongs
if we pray and believe Him. We can be
more than conquerors through Him who
loved us.
Selection of wrong
subject matter upon which to converse
– Lack of wisdom in the
selection of subjects of conversation
has dome much harm. The conversation
should be upon spiritual and divine
things; but it has been otherwise. If
the association with Christian’s
friends is chiefly devoted to the
improvement of the mind and heart,
there will be no after regrets, and
they can look back on the interview
with a pleasant satisfaction. But if
the hours are spent in levity and
vain talking, and the precious time
is employed in dissecting the lives
and character of others, the friendly
communication will prove a source of
evil, and your influence will be a
savor of death unto death.
Time is a valuable
gift; one that we are called upon to
account for, so how we use the gift
is critical. The value of time is
beyond computation. Christ regarded
every moment as precious, and it is
thus that we should regard it. Life
is too short to be trifled away. We
have but a few days of probation in
which to prepare for eternity. We
have no time to waste, no time to
devote to selfish pleasure, no time
for the indulgence of sin. It is now
that we are to form characters for
the future, immortal life. It is now
that we are to prepare for the
searching judgment.
Strict accounting of
our use of time – Our time
belongs to God. Every moment is His,
and we are under the most solemn
obligation to improve it to His
glory. Of no talent He has given will
require a more strict account than of
our time.
Proper Use of Time
“For it is light
that makes everything visible. This
is why it is said: “Wake up, O
sleeper, rise from the dead, and
Christ will shine on you.”
Ephesians 5:14-16 NIV “God
declares, “You have been
weighted on the scales and found
wanting.” Daniel 5:27 –
Wanting in a knowledge of practical
business, wanting in knowledge of how
to make the best use of time, wanting
in knowledge of how to labor for
Jesus.
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