Handling The Crunch Part 1 - Be Intentional

Ephesians 5:15-17 gives these instructions….
1. Be intentional about how you live,
2. Be wise,
3. Don’t mindlessly waste your time and opportunities,
4. Don’t be foolish,
5. Understand what the Lord’s will is.

Life is Busy!! Most days we go to bed and feel exhausted and wondering where the day went. With technology, work, school, sports, band, etc we never seem to have enough time to do it all, much less rest or “be still.” How are we ever going to be able to hear God’s voice, to be still and know who He is if we can’t even manage to make it to school or work on time! We can’t even remember what happened yesterday, last week, last month, even last year. It’s all a blur!

I don’t know about you, but when my life is over, I don’t want to look back and see a blur of iPhone apps, work schedules, and rushed conversations. I want to KNOW God. I want to recall tender moments with my wife and children. I want to relish close friendships that were of great value to me. I want my time to have made a lasting imprint. How do I plan to make this happen while handling the crazy crunch?? By following God’s Word in Ephesians.

Let’s pretend that at the beginning of each day, we’re all given 24 tickets – each ticket is one hour. We only get 24 hours to a day and there is only so much that we can jam into that time. We need to REALLY consider…Are we spending our time on those things that will leave a lasting imprint on life? Things that really matter to us and to God? Let’s break down how much time we really have….

Sleep – 7 tickets (at least)

Work/School – 9 tickets

Shower/Eat/Drive – 3 tickets

We’ve already blown through most of our tickets and we’ve done nothing but the bare essentials!! What we do with our few remaining tickets is how our life will be defined. This is the CRUNCH. This is where we need to be intentional. This is where we need to decide. These tickets are nonrefundable. They are precious. We need to choose wisely - choose relationships over tasks, choose to be together instead of separate, and choose to rest instead of push harder and do more. The way we spend those few remaining tickets will determine the course of our lives. This is important!! We need to PAY ATTENTION to how we spend our time, and make intentional choices that reflect our goals. Don’t let others tell you how to spend your time. Their goals are not yours. Be intentional!

So….24 tickets….1 life. I’m going to pay attention to how mine is spent! How about you?