“Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and the Messiah will shine on you. Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.“  Ephesians 5:14-17

I’m struck at how fast time flies. Am I getting old? Actually, I think it’s healthy to be ever aware of the shortness of time. Let’s face it—at any moment our lives could come to an abrupt end or the Lord will suddenly come like a thief in the night.

Time is such a precious commodity. So valuable is time, that throughout history man has been obsessed with inventing better and better time-saving tools.  

When we appreciate the true value of time it should cause us to be thrifty in the way we spend it.  Paul tells us to make the most of every opportunity (Eph.5:16).  Does that mean we should say ‘yes’ to every opportunity that comes along, thinking that if we say ‘no’ that opportunity will never be offered to us again? Hardly. Paul says in the very next verse, “understand what the Lord’s will is.” The key to spending time wisely is godly time management—that is, learning to manage our time according to the Lord’s set of priorities for our lives.

Just because you’re busy doesn’t mean you’re productive. Productivity has more to do with working smart than working hard. Working smart means knowing exactly which opportunities are from the Lord and which are not—knowing which we should say ‘yes’ to, and which to say ‘no’ to.

God is not impressed with our busyness, just our faithfulness—faithfulness to that which He’s called us to do.

In Ephesians 5, Paul not only addresses those people who need to set proper priorities, but also to those who have another problem—laziness. Their problem is more than knowing God’s will, it’s a problem of ‘get up and go.’ In Ephesians 5:14 Paul says, “Wake up O sleeper, rise from the dead.” The best way to make your dreams come true is to wake up! Too many of us are daydreamers— always thinking fondly of great things we will accomplish ‘one day’, but that day never seems to arrive. The preacher, George Truett once said, “To know the will of God is the greatest knowledge, to find the will of God is the greatest discovery, and to do the will of God is the greatest achievement.”

Time is a precious commodity, so let’s not waste even a drop. That means we should be better time managers, learning to set our priorities according to His priorities. And it means we need to be doers not just hearers. As the day draws quickly to a close let’s not be caught sleeping on the job when Messiah returns.