“If you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday. The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.” (Isaiah 58:10–11, NIV).
At the very most, Satan wants to use our time for his benefit, and at the very least, he wants to keep us from using our time in the way in which God wants us to. The Chief Consumerlator will use whatever means he has available to keep us from doing God’s will. We must remember that time is a currency that needs to be invested in the right things.
I have found that many people attempt to find fulfillment in life in the wrong ways and in the wrong places as they follow wrong pursuits. They think that the pleasure of this world, whether it is found in relationships, work, recreation, or pastimes, will provide the meaning in life that they so desperately wish to experience. Often, time used in this way simply results in disappointment, disillusionment, regret, depression, or even despair.
One of the priorities we often fail to make time for is our relationships. Time invested in people will always reap dividends. However, many people make the mistake of investing their time in things that offer an immediate sense of satisfaction, but that in the long-term damage their relationships with those who should be the closest to them. We need God’s wisdom to avoid falling prey to Satan’s subtle deceit.
When I think of a “well-watered garden” or a “spring whose waters never fail,” (two phrases found in the verses at the beginning of this devotional), I think of something with vitality and creativity and beauty. If I apply this metaphor to a person, I think of someone who is energetic, and focused, and alive. Are you that person? Or are you a sun-scorched garden or a spring that has gone dry. I encounter a lot of people who are tired. They are busy. They are weary. And they are frustrated that their lives are not producing anything of substance, let alone something that will last for all eternity. Satan has confused their priorities. The Chief Consumerlator will make you too busy and will find a way to rob you of your joy and life if you are not careful.
The important thing to remember here is that there is not a formula for using our time. It is critical that we evaluate on a regular basis how we are using our time, but we also must know that God leads each one of us differently in each chapter (or season) of our lives according to how he designed us individually. How do we balance our time between our various responsibilities? We seek God’s wisdom and guidance and rely on our relationship with him!
In what ways are you conscientiously using your time for God’s purposes?
Converterlators rely on their relationship with God to help them determine their time commitments.