DOOMED? GET REAL? WE ARE BUT STEWARDS OF TIME...
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
He who kills time, kills himself...
LET US ADDRESS OUR PATTERNS OF TIME MANGEMENT?
In Greek there are two words pertaining to time:
1. CHRONOS: this is seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, years, etc.
2. KAIROS: this is memories, events, experiences, meaningful memories...
GOD WANTS US TO BE MORE FOCUSED ON KAIROS THAN CHRONOS.
Text:
Psalm 90:12 So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.
HAVE WE EVER CONSIDERED WHAT IS VALUABLE TO ME? WHAT IS IMPORTANT TO ME?
Luke 16:2 And he called him, and said unto him, How is it that I hear this of thee? give an account of thy stewardship; for thou mayest be no longer steward.
WHAT IS A STEWARD? Steward is not a word we use every day?
STEWARD: someone who protects or is responsible for the care of another, a person whose job is to manage wisely the possessions of another, to manage for another.
Have you ever walked into a store and looked down the dog food isle? The cat food isle? I had a friend that was born and raised in Haiti. The first thing he noticed in Wal-Mart was the selection of "PET STUFF!" He told me, we have no "HUMAN RESOURCES" like this in any store in Haiti?
WHY? We value our pets!
Once I was in an eye doctor's office, the eye doctor's wife was working the desk that day, as the girl was off sick. The wife checked me in... She was painting her nails? She said: I think this could be a sin? I asked, Why would you say that? She said: I PAID $75 for this little bottle. Later, she raised up a bottle of perfume and said: I paid $350 for this?
WHY? We value our looks!
I was speaking in a church and I noticed a man's cowboy boots? Wow, they were beautiful. I asked him, if you don't mind would you tell me where you purchased those boots? I love them! He told me the store? I said, May I be bold enough to ask what they cost? He told me he paid $1,200 for them?
WHY? We value our aura!
I saw a man that invested $ 75,000 in an old car? He loved that old car and it was in better shape than when it was new. He parked the car where everyone could see it?
WHY? His car was important to him!
FOR WHAT ARE WE LOOKING? DO NOT TELL ME WHAT IS IMPORTANT TO YOU! SHOW ME? WHAT DO WE TREASURE?
Matthew 6:21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
GOD GIVES EVERY PERSON THREE GIFTS:
1. TIME
2. TALENT
3. ENERGY
SHOW ME WHERE YOU SPEND YOUR TIME, TALENT AND ENERGY AND I WILL DEFINE WHAT IS IMPORTANT TO YOU.
GET REAL! WE ALL HAVE A VALUE SYSTEM, WHERE WE MAKE A PRIORITY VALUE JUDGMENT CALL! What are we doing with our time?
Matthew 15:8 This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.
GET REAL! IS OUR VALUE SYSTEM ANYWHERE NEAR GOD'S VALUE SYSTEM?
Matthew 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
OFTEN TIMES IT IS EASIER TO SAY WHAT WE THINK IS IMPORTANT, THEN TO TELL WHAT IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO US?
Is a man as patient with his son as he is fishing?
Has sports become a little g, god to us?
I have seen a father scream and curse his son on the football field --- when the father never achieved NFL status?
ME? ME? WHAT IS IN THIS FOR ME?
ANY GOOD COACH KNOWS HE MUUST GET HIS PLAYERS TO BUY INTO THE PROGRAM. THERE ARE NOT I's IN TEAM... WE MUST SELL OUT OUR DESIRES OF STARDOM TO BENEFIT THE TEAM. LET GO... BUY IN...
Matthew 13:44 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.
45 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls:
46 Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.
WE MUST LET GO OF OUR VALUE SYSTEM TO ATTAIN TO FIND GOD'S PLAN...
One of my lessons after 36 years of full time ministry is that MUST HAVE NEVER REALLY DEFINED THEIR PURPOSE AND THEIR GOALS... CAN YOU IMAGINE A BASKETBALL GAME WITH NO HOOPS? CAN YOU IMAGINE A FOOTBALL FIELD WITH NO GOAL LINES? WHY WOULD WE ALLOW OUR ENEMY TO HAVE THE GOAL LINE?
Any good coaching staff knows your view from the football field is limited, there for the coaches place staff high above the field to HAVE A BIRD'S EYE VIEW OF THE GAME...
DOOMED? LET US GET REAL AND ADDRESS THE ESTABLISHMENT OF OUR PRIORITIES... TIME MANGEMENT!!!!
Have you ever listened to David Ramsey? He says we are doomed to financial failure without A BUDGET?
KNOW WHERE YOUR MONEY IS GOING!
MY HEARTBREAK IS FEW PEOPLE EVER THINK ABOUT TIME? DO YOU HAVE A TIME BUDGET? IS YOUR TIME BUDGET QUE SERA, SERA? WHAT WILL BE WILL?
Any successful person, mother, teacher, president, preacher, student must learn WISE TIME MANAGEMENT!
DO YOU WHOLE YOURSELF ACCOUNTABLE? DO YOU HAVE A PERSONAL REPORT CARD THAT EVALUATES... YOU ARE A STEWARD OF TIME...
Ecclesiastes 12:1 Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;
Some people realize the cost of electricity and they turn their HVAC system to save on consumption? We use coupons? We watch the prices? We buy when things are on sale?
We know we have limited resources?
SOME ARE WISE ENOUGH TO LOOK AHEAD... LAY CASH ASIDE FOR AN EMERGENCY FUND
AND PLAN FOR RETIREMENT... AND WE WASTE TIME...
YOU HAVE AN APPOINTMENT SET! AS A MATTER OF FACT YOU HAVE TWO APPOINTMENTS SET! LIFE COMES WITH NO GUARANTEES OR ASSURANCES...
ONE OF THE GREATEST SINS OF THIS DAY IS THE THOUGHT PATTERN: I HAVE PLENTY OF TIME...
Hebrews 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
I HAVE A LIFE TIME? 24 HOURS A DAY? 60 MINUTES A DAY? 1440 MINUTES PER DAY? 10,080 MINUTES A WEEK? 10,605,600 MINUTES A YEAR!
... I HAVE 70 YEARS? 742,392,000 MINUTES ...
YOU MAY TIE YOUR SHOE STRINGS THIS MORNING AND MAYBE THE UNDERTAKER WILL UNTIE THEM BEFORE BEDTIME?
HAVE YOU SPENT YOUR TIME AS WISELY AS YOUR MONEY?
GOD HAS ENTRUSTED A LIMITED AMOUNT OF TIME TO TEST YOU TO SEE HOW YOU WILL SPEND YOUR TIME?
ON A SCALE 0F 1 (POORLY) to 10 (WISELY) HOW WOULD YOU RANK YOUR TIME MANGEMENT? WHY?
AM I INVESTING MY TIME WITH ETERNAL VALUES IN VIEW?
How much time do you spend watching TV? Reading the Bible?
How much time do you spend on the COMPUTER? I know people that have SELF-DIAGNOSED a terrible disease by computer resources?
PORNOGRAPHY? DATING SERVICES? GAMES? Do you honestly think God will be impressed with your score or level? Or the murders you solved?
WHAT IS IMPORTANT TO GOD?
Do you think God is going to ask how many square feet your house is?
What kind of car do you drive?
James 1:27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.
1. GOD MAY NOT MEASURE HOW MUCH YOU MADE, BUT WHAT PERCENTAGE DID YOU GIVE?
2. PEOPLE! REAL PEOPLE! STUPID PEOPLE? DRUG/ ALCHOLOICS? KIDS? OLD PEOPLE? HURTING PEOPLE.
Someone needs you each day? Someone's SWEATY ARM PITS? Not perfect people?
You can help someone if you could just see the need and pray?
3. HAVE YOU CHECKED YOUR BUSY PRIORITIES RECENTLY?
Want to discuss busyness? OK, a MOSQUITO IS BUSY? We swat it?
A BEE IS BUSY? We praise it?
4. CHECK YOUR FAMILY AND YOUR CHURCH TIME?
We send our kids to school 35 hours a week? Church time?
It is not just HOW MUCH TIME WE SPEND? We have many things that needs our attention?
IT IS HOW WE SPEND WHAT TIME WE HAVE?
5. A STITCH IN TIME SAVE NINE? ARE YOU IGNORING YOUR PROBLEMS? DAVID FACED GOLIATH IMMEDIATELY!
The army of Saul stood and listened to 2 messages a day for 40 days, the problem grew.
Be honest and evaluate how you are handling your problems? The more you IGNORE your problems the more they will dominate you.
I DO KNOW WHEN YOU WILL CHANGE! WHEN THE PAIN OF STAYING THE SAME BECOMES GREATER THAN THE PAIN OF CHANGE.
NO WORDS ARE SADDER THAN THE WORDS OF REGRET...
WE TEND TO WAIT FOR A MORE CONVENIENT TIME?
Convenient: allow to do when something is easier or without trouble, easy to get to, a better reason to do...
Acts 24:25 (KJV)
Ac 24:25 And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee.
CONCLUSION: WE CAN LOSE LIFE IN DAILY LIVING. Life at best is temporary!
Life is a vapor! It is hear and soon gone.
Life is like a SPIDER'S WEB?
There is no greater pain than to DIE WITH DEEP REGRETS THAT YOU WASTED YOUR TIME, TALENT, AND ENERGY CHASING RAINBOWS... On earth are NO PLACES LIKE OZ, UTPIA IS IMAGINARY...
If you could find a perfect church and joined it, you would really mess it up?
LET US COME TO THE CONCLUSION POF THE MATTER:
Ecclesiastes 12:13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. 14 For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.
HOW ARE YOU SPENDING YOUR TIME? DO YOU HONESTLY EVALUATE HOW YOU ARE SPENDING YOUR TIME? What adjustments could you make to include God and people in your schedule?
Please, don't wake up dead and realize: I never kept the main thing the main thing!
Psalm 90:12 So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
