All
    I come to you with a heavy heart tonight.  I just spent the last hour or so typing up a message that has now been lost.  Which is kind of ironic considering the subject of the message.  
    I have been struggling with this study all day long as I just could not seem to find the scripture to go with what I know the Lord had laid upon my heart.  Then tonight as I sat down to start putting this together, the Lord gave me the verses to go with this subject.  This is unusual for me as normally I have the scripture and then the Lord gives me the message, but he is sovereign and I trust in him.  So let me try to put all of this together again, I am not going to give up that easily ;-)

Ephesians 5: 1-2, 15 - 16
1 Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children 2 and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

15 Be very careful, then, how you live--not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.


Ephesians 5 is mostly a message to us about being imitators of God living a life of Love.  Then going on to tell us things that we should or should not do.  At verse 15 we are told to be be careful to live wisely making the most of every opportunity,   I really like the way the KJV puts this  16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

There is a lot of wisdom contained in the verses that I have purposely skipped and each one of them would be worthy of study.  However today's study is not on those items it is on TIME.  Time is the single most precious resource the Lord ever gives us.  Gold or Money can be earned and spent and once spent we can earn more. However Time once spent is spent forever we can never earn more time.  

It is interesting that the world around us, the world that makes such huge demands on our time, paradoxically warns us about wasting it.  You can see this concept at work in sayings such as "Time is Money", you can hear its warning in songs such as the 1970's folk song Cat's in the Cradle which is a story of a man who is to busy for his children until it is to late and they are gone. Not to be outdone hollywood has jumped on the band wagon with such movies as Adam Sandler's Click.  But why?  Why are we warned about not using the time we have wisely?  Why does the world bring this up when it is the biggest robber of our time?  Perhaps because at the end of a persons life when they reflect on their life the biggest regrets revolve around how they spent their time.  The saddest thing to hear is when someone who is on their death bed says I wish I spent less time at the office and more time with my family.  It is sad because it is so often true when our lives are done it is the time spent with family that matters, not that last project that you worked on. 

God tells is to imitate him, to live a life of Love offering ourselves as a fragrant offering to God.  Then he tells us to live wisely making the most of every moment.  We all desire to be good stewards of the resources the Lord gives us (I bet the first thing to go through your mind when you read that was money).  And rightly so, in fact you may even pride yourself somewhat in knowing that you are a good steward of the money the Lord gives.  making the most of every penny.  But let me ask you this.  How much time did earning that money cost you?  How much time did you spend carefully weighing out all of the possible things you could buy with it? How high of a price in Time did you pay trying to make sure that you got the best deal?  These are all good things but the question still remains was it worth the cost?  If you spent to much time saving a penny or two you are as the english saying goes "Penny Wise, Pound Foolish".  Be careful to make sure that in your quest to be a good steward you do not pay to high of a price in the one currency you can not gain more of.

God tells us to imitate him to live a life of Love.  So lets ask the question how does making the most of time have anything to do with living a life of love?  Let me share the core of what the Lord has laid upon my heart.  Over the last few days the Lord has been revealing a concept that I have already touched upon once in this message to me.  This is our relationship with our children.  Mom's and Dad's, it is easy to fall into the trap of wishing the time we have with our children away.  If you do not believe me ask the parent of a newborn that is on month 2 of sleep deprivation if they do not look forward to the ending of that particular phase of life.  My son Caleb is "only" 8 years old, I still have plenty of time with him yet to come, in fact if the wisdom of my older friends is true then the best times are yet ahead of me.  But how long will it be before I stop being the hero to take him fishing, to be replaced by his pursuit of friends and then life?  It seems just like yesterday that I was holding him in one hand hoping and praying that he would grow and be strong.  As parents my wife and I have been careful to make sure that we make plenty of memories and not to waste the time we have but still.  I feel such a loss that this time has already been spent and would gladly pay every penny I have earned or ever will earn to just go back and live those days once again.  in fact a thousand lifetimes would not be enough.  That my friends is living a Life of Love.  Knowing that you spent your time wisely, and have given to those that need you, the time that they deserve.  That is a true expression of Love.  If you don't believe me just look at the joy in the eyes of your child when they ask you to ____ (fill in the blank) and you say yes lets do that.  Or the utter disappointment when you say not right now I am to busy, tired, have to go to work ......  What cost did you just pay?  Was it worth it?  When you are on your death bed and you look back will you be able to honestly say you made the right choice? 

Indulge me a moment here and allow me take a moment to give praise and encouragement to some special people.  Homeschooling parents have one of this life's greatest burdens, and one of this life's greatest blessings.  You have been given an opportunity by the Lord to spend the most precious of your time and your children's time being their GREATEST hero.  It is hard work of that there is no doubt but,  O what a reward you have to gain.  What a blessing you have been given.   When it is all said and done and your children have moved on in their lives you will have so many precious memories that would have otherwise gone to the school teacher or the playground bully.  May you stand and be blessed.

I know I have focused on the relationship of a parent and a child but this same principle can be applied to all relationships in your life.
    Marital.  Are you giving your spouse the time they need and deserve?  Does your spouse feel your true love for them as expressed in the time you dedicate to them?
    Friends.  Have you ever told a friend in need that you were to busy, tired etc?  How did that show them you loved them?
    Ministry.    How many souls are still lost because we were to tired, how many people are walking around rejected and alone because WE are simply to tired or busy?  Are we showing the Love of Christ to them?
    The list goes on and on. 

Take the time now to reflect upon this message and ask yourself if you are truly being a good steward of the most precious resource the Lord has given you.  Are you "Storing up Treasure in Heaven" or on earth?  Just remember that where your treasure is there your heart will be also.

Lord Jesus, I come to you with a humble and contrite heart.  I repent of the sin of not spending my time wisely.  I ask the you help me to Redeem the time that has been lost, and to spend the time I have left wisely.  As I go through each day send your Holy Spirit to me to remind me that my time is the most precious gift of all, and to convict me to spend it wisely.  Help me to show my family I love them by the time that I spend with them.  Help me to reach out to others and show your love to them in the time I sacrifice for them and you. Let those sacrafices bring a smile to your face.  Lord you know the seasons and times of my life.  guide me and direct me that I might spend my days with wisdom and not foolishness.

In your precious and holy name I pray
AMEN!