Make the MOST of our Opportunities
Ephesians 5:15-17
15See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, 16Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. 17Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. (KJV)
15So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise.
16Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. 17Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do.(NLT)
Introduction I’m sure you’ve noticed that each year almost all the major news magazines put out an issue with special pictorial sections recalling people and events that made news during the previous year. And, of course, this year the election, economy and the war in Afghanistan dominated the news reviews of 2009. Many of the magazines also include articles by experts predicting what they expect to see happening in the years ahead. Some even go so far as to make predictions covering the next 10, 20, or more years in the future.
In the past, a few of these predictions have proven amazingly accurate, while others couldn’t have been more wrong.
For example, back in 1967, experts predicted that by the turn of the century technology would have taken over so much of the work we do that the average American work week would be only 22 hours long and we would work only 27 weeks a year. As a result, one of our biggest problems would be in deciding what to do with all our leisure time. Well, I don’t know about you, but that prediction certainly missed the mark as far as my life was concerned. In fact, most of us seem to be very busy people.. We are always in a hurry. We walk fast, talk fast and eat fast. And after we eat, all too often, we stand up and say, “Excuse me. I need to run.”
So here we are, the last Sunday of 2009. I wonder how we’ll do this coming year. Will we be as busy? Will we make any better use of our time? In 369 days, when 2010 is over, will we be looking back with joy or with regret? Will we be looking at the future with anticipation or with dread?
There is a passage of Scripture I believe can be of help to us as we look forward to 2010, if we’ll listen to it. The passage is Ephesians 5:15-17 and here is what it says,
“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.”
I think in this passage the Apostle Paul presents some important lessons that we need to consider.
I. Our Time on This Earth is Limited
First of all, we must be very careful how we live because our time on this earth is limited. The Psalmist wrote, “Show me, O Lord, my life’s end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting is my life”
(Psalm 39:4). And then again, “The length of our days is seventy years - or eighty, if we have the strength; yet their span is but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away” (Psalm 90:10).
I realize that for some of us younger folk, 70 or 80 years sounds like a long, long time. In fact, I can remember when I thought anyone over 40 was ancient, but no longer. It is all rather relative, isn’t it?
Illustration
For teenagers in love, talking together in the car, an hour or two seems like a blink of an eye, but for mom and dad worrying about what’s going on out in that car, an hour or two seems like an eternity.
Psalmist also tells us to number our days so that we will develop a heart of wisdom.
Illustration
A few years ago People Magazine published an article entitled, “Dead Ahead,” telling about a new clock that keeps track of how much time you have left to live. It calculates an average life span of 75 years for men and 80 years for women. So you program your sex and age into the clock, and from then on, it will tell you how much time you have left. It sold for $99.95.
I didn’t buy one, but it is an intriguing idea. In fact, that’s what the Psalmist told us to do: to number our days.
So if I live to be 75 years old, I have about 8,093 days left to live. That’s all, just 8,093 days left to live, but wait a minute. I am not guaranteed even one day more to live. In fact, the Bible tells us not to count on tomorrow because tomorrow may not come for you or for me. All we have is right now. So our time on this earth is valuable because it is very limited.
II. Make The Most of Every Opportunity
Paul tells us that we must make “the most of every opportunity” and he gives a reason: “Because the days are evil.”
Jesus said there are folks who are robbers and thieves (John 10:10). One of the things they try to rob from us is our time because time is a very precious possession. Just think of the time we waste gossiping or spreading rumors. Think about all the time wasted worrying about the consequences of our choices. But it is not just sin that makes demands on our time. Sometimes even good things can make demands.
Jesus went to the home of Mary, Martha and Lazarus. He sat down to teach. Mary was sitting at His feet just soaking in every word; meanwhile, Martha was out in the kitchen preparing dinner. Now, you know the story. Martha gets upset because Mary is not in the kitchen with her. So, she complains to Jesus, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” “‘Martha, Martha,’ Jesus answered, ‘You are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her’” (Luke 10:40-42).
Was Martha committing a sin by fixing a meal in the kitchen? No, of course not! But here’s the problem. She was so preoccupied with what she was doing that she didn’t realize God was in her living room.
That’s the same mistake that you and I make every day. We get so caught up in the here and now that we fail to deal with the eternal, the things that will last forever.
Illustration
Richard Swenson, a medical doctor, wrote a book in which he discusses one of the major maladies of our time: anxiety and stress. He calls it “overload” and says people are just plain overloaded.
1. We are overloaded with commitments. We have committed ourselves to go here and there, to take part in this activity and that social function. As a result, we have overloaded ourselves in the area of commitments.
2. We are also overloaded with possessions. Our closets are full and our garages are overflowing. We have gone into debt to pay for all of these things that we “simply must have.” And now we are so afraid that someone will steal them. We are overloaded in the area of possessions.
3. We have an overload in the area of work. We get up early, work two jobs and experience difficult working conditions because we have to pay for all those possessions we’ve accumulated.
4. We have an information overload. With the internet, 24 hour a day cable news programs, radio news programs and the piles of newspapers and magazines out there, we cannot possibly absorb it all. So we feel an overload in this area.
I could go on and on, but you get the picture. There are so many demands on our time, so many good things that need to be done, but there are just 8,760 hours in a year. We do want to make the most of every opportunity, so what are we to do?
III. Understand What The Lord’s Will Is
To answer that, Paul tells us, “...do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.”
What do you think God’s will is for you in this New Year?
Do you think He wants your mind so saturated with worries and anxieties that you can’t think spiritual thoughts?
Do you think He wants your calendar so crowded that you don’t have time for the important things?
What do you think God’s will is for you this year?
Let me make a couple of suggestions for you to consider. First of all, establish your priorities.
1. I’m assuming that since you’re in church this morning you believe God should be a part of your life. But when you begin to establish priorities, you need to decide just where He stands in your life.
So ask yourself, “Who or what is most important in my life?”
I’m hoping your answer will be, “My relationship with God, through Jesus Christ, is MOST important to me.” If so, then put that at the top of your list of priorities, and say, “This will affect my decisions, my scheduling, my relationship with others and my whole outlook on life. Therefore, when Sunday rolls around, neither rain or shine, football kickoffs or fishing/hunting trips will interfere with me being in church, because He comes first in my life. I’ll worship the Lord and nothing will interfere with that.”
2. You also need to schedule time each day to pray and to read the Bible.
Pray for yourself, your family and for people around you. Pray for the church and for our missionaries. Sometimes they feel so alone and far away. You’ll never know how much your prayers mean to them, but you’ll be blessed as you grow in your faith and trust in the Lord.
3. You must also spend time with your family.
Every husband here ought to have a date night with his wife. I’m guilty of this. You ought to have a date night with your wife, a time when just the two of you get away and don’t have anything else to interfere. No telephones and no interruptions. Maybe at a nice restaurant or maybe at home, but wherever it is, spend some time together.
Spend time with your children, too.
They’re growing up ever so fast.. These are precious moments.. Don’t let them get away. Make sure you spend quality time with your children. Make sure your family is very high on the list.
4. Now most of us work and I think Christians ought to be good workers. When someone hires a Christian, they ought to know they are getting someone who will give them an honest day’s work. Because we’re Christians, we have a responsibility: “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men” (Colossians 3:23).
So then,
A.Establish your priorities.
B. Learn how to live today.
The two greatest enemies of time are regrets for things we did in the past and anxiety about what will happen in the future.
Many of us are living either in the past or in the future.
In fact, many of us are engaged in the little game of, “I wish it were.” “I wish it were next week,” or “I wish it were next month,” or “something.” We go to work and say, “Boy, I wish this day was over.”
Illustration:
A girl who went to college, but she just hated it. She told herself, “If I can ever get out of college, get married and have children, I know I’ll finally be able to enjoy life.” So she stuck with it. She went to classes every day and finally graduated from college. Then she got married, had children and discovered that children are a lot of work. Then she told herself, “If I can just get these kids raised, then I’ll be able to relax and really enjoy life.” But about the time the kids were entering high school, her husband said, “Guess what? We don’t have enough money to send our kids to college. I guess you’ll have to get a job.” Well, she didn’t want to, but she knew he was right and they needed the money, so she went to work. She hated it, but told herself, “If I can just get these kids out of college, get all of the bills paid, then I can quit work and really enjoy life.” Finally, the last child graduated from college and all the bills were paid. So she walked into her employer’s office and said, “I quit.” He said, “Oh, you don’t want to quit now. If you stay with us just another 8 years, you’ll have a pension for the rest of your life.” She thought, “Well, I don’t want to work another 8 years, but there’s all that money there and I really can’t turn down the opportunity.” So she worked for another 8 years and finally, she and her husband retired at the same time. They sold their home and bought a little retirement cottage. Then they sat down on the swing on their front porch, looked at the family picture album and dreamed about the good old days.
Someone said, “Life is what happens to you while you’re making plans to do something else.”
True, isn’t it? Another year has come and gone, and a new year stretches before us. Help us Lord, to redeem our time.
May your new year have enough happiness to keep you sweet, enough trials to keep you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human, enough hope to keep you happy, enough failure to keep you humble, enough success to keep you eager, enough friends to give you comfort, enough wealth to meet your needs, enough enthusiasm to make you look forward to tomorrow and enough determination to make each day better than the day before.
Lord, please help us to use the 8,760 hours of 2010 the wisest way we can for you and for your glory.
Conclusion
Romans 13:11b-12 says, “The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.”
Let us pray….
