There’s one amazing common resource that God has blessed us all with.  And no, I know what you’re thinking, but it’s not me.

When considering what our callings are, in previous devotionals, I’ve mentioned this formula: Gifts + Talents + Resources = One of our callings

As a quick example, if God wanted you to be a pastor, He would have given you gifts like teaching and preaching, talents of public speaking, and resources of things like a seminary education. If God has called you to be a nurse then He’ll give you the gift of encouragement, a talent of fine motor skills and resources like college and a strong stomach.

We all have a few different callings to juggle at once and there is actually one resource that not only do all these callings have in common, but there is a resource that we all share – and that is time. And that 24 hours a day is split between all of our callings.

For example my callings are: job, dad, husband, Fast God Stuff and swimsuit model. You have your set of callings as well, though they probably aren’t quite as awesome as mine.  And in those callings you have to take those limited hours a day and prioritize your time so that you can give enough attention to each calling.

Now I know what you’re thinking.  Yeah yeah Conrad, I shouldn’t be lazy, I get it. But there’s more to it than that. There’s a few different ways to misuse time.

1. Do nothing.  This of course is laziness.  God has given you a few different callings, but you choose to disobey by getting excess sleep or watching countless hours of Full House.
2. Actively using your time for sin.  Now you can be an early riser and be a busy person, but that doesn’t mean you are spending your time in obedience to God.  You could be using your time to deal drugs, kill puppies or watch countless hours of Full House.
3. Actively using your time for self.  Really this is falls under #2, but this includes things we don’t consider an outright sin.  Playing video games, reading up on politics, being on Facebook aren’t sins – but when you value your time on those more than your callings, therein lies the sin.  (And yes, watching Full House is considered a sin. And the main one I wanted to talk about because it’s a little more hidden…
4. Mismanagement of God Given Callings.  Now you could be spending all your time doing what’s “right”, devoted to your callings, but that doesn’t mean you’re doing it right.   What if you are so focused on your calling as a pastor that you but you are barely at home with your family?

God has given all the blessing of life.  We weren’t created so we could please ourselves, but to please God who is hopefully the one we love and the one we want to live for. So first figure out what your callings are. 

See where you might be wasting time, using time sinfully or selfishly, or where your are devoting to little or too much time to. Then your can manage your time well so you can live a life glorifying to God.

Then and only then can you feel right about taking a well deserved break to watch the Full House episode where Michelle falls off that horse and loses her memory.  I’ve never seen it, but the sinners in my house tell me that it was quite dramatic.

PR 6:9-11 How long will you lie there, you sluggard? When will you get up from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest– and poverty will come on you like a bandit  and scarcity like an armed man. Col 4:5 Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Eph 5:15-16 Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.

Take Time To Pray: Ask for wisdom to know your callings and how best to manage them so you can live a life in obedience to God. Today’s Fruit of the Spirit: Faithfulness.