Aug 20, 2013
Read | Ephesians 5:15-17
For Christ-followers, succeeding in God’s eyes is the only kind of achievement that matters. Sometimes, however, success seems to elude us. When it does, examining what we are thinking and how we’re spending our time can help us move forward. There’s a relationship between spiritual success and the way we use our time. To become the person God wants each of us to be and to achieve the tasks He’s given us to do, we must manage our time carefully.
Time is a gift God has given us, and we’re accountable to Him for the way we spend it. We need to recognize that time is not ours to fill as we choose, but rather, it’s a trust from the Lord to be utilized in ways that fulfill His plan. Reviewing our schedule regularly will help ensure that we invest this precious resource His way.
Take a moment right now to review your calendar for the rest of this week, and ask yourself the following questions:
1. Does this schedule reveal a wise use of my time, according to God’s principles?
2. Where will I end up if I continue to invest my time in the same activities I’m currently involved in? Will it be where God wants me to be?
3. What will I be accomplishing for the kingdom of God if I continue to use my time in this way?
4. Does the way I spend my time help me move closer to achieving the Lord’s goal for me—namely, ongoing personal transformation into Christlikeness?
Respond to what the Holy Spirit reveals about your schedule, so that you may make wise use of your days. Remember that God wants you to succeed.
God bless you!
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The Danger in Being a Christian: It began as a Jewish sect; fierce persecution only helped it spread
Acts 8 Acts 8:1 On that day a great persecution broke out against the church at Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. In some countries, a person who becomes a Christian forfeits a good education and job. And in a few countries, a person who converts risks his or her life. One church historian estimates that more Christians were martyred in the twentieth century than in all preceding centuries put together. Yet, strangely, more often than not, intense persecution of Christians leads to a spurt of growth in the church. An ancient saying expresses this phenomenon: “The blood of martyrs is the seed of the church.” The First Big Advance For a while, the new faith enjoyed popular favor. But very soon it involved grave risk. In the book of Acts, the persecution that produced the first Christian martyr, Stephen, ironically brought about the advance of Christianity outside its Jewish base. Forced out of stormy Jerusalem, the scatterin...
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