Wasted Time And Wasted Prayers

What we do with this gift is left entirely up to us.

Because of this gift of time this is why there is going to be a judgment to give an account of what we have done with our time. Some will have to give account for their teens, 20 years, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90 or a 100 years.

• But we must not forget, every day is a gift from God!!!

• Some take the days God gives them and waste them.

Illus: That is, if time was something that could be thrown into a trash can that is what they do with the time God gives them each day.

Before we go to bed each night something we ought to do is evaluate how did we spend our time that day.

• HOW MUCH OF IT WAS USED FOR GOD

• HOW MUCH OF IT WAS USED ENTIRELLY FOR OUR SELVES!!!

That is, exactly what is going to happen as we stand before Him and give account of our lives!

Illus: For example, many will be judge they took the time God gave them Monday through Friday for themselves but they also took God’s day for themselves.

The Word of God has a lot to say about the time God gives us.

Look at…

1 Psalms 90:12 So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.

2. Psalms 39:4-5 LORD, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is; that I may know how frail I am. Behold, thou hast made my days as an handbreadth; and mine age is as nothing before thee: verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity. Selah.

3. Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace..

Illus: Someone has observed that life is like a dollar bill. You can spend it any way you want to, but you can only spend it once.

Now when you spend money there is really only one of two ways you can spend it.

• You can waste it,

• Or you can use it for something good.

The same thing is true with the time God gives us.

God gives us these days so that we might use them wisely. Some are wise enough to do this.

Let’s look at who is using time wisely…

(1) SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS MEN

We humans have battled against time since the beginning of time. But some have used time very wisely.

For example, if you look at the past 200 years the invention of…

• The cotton gin,

• The assembly line,

• The telephone,

• The computer,

All of these things have made it possible for the business world to increase productivity in a greater way.

The business world knows these time saving devices will increase their productivity, and will put more money in their pockets. So they wisely invest in these things!!!

Who else use time wisely…

(2) SUCCESSFUL FARMERS

A farmer used to take his mule and plow all day in a field, and if he worked really hard, he might plow one or two acres. But today, successful farmers know that they can save all kinds of time by plowing with their large tractors, and in one day, they may plow 60 acres instead of 1 or 2.

They are wise farmers because they know the time they save plowing with tractors will put more money in their pockets. So they wisely invest in these tractors and farm equipment that increase their productivitiy.

The point I want to make is this; those who are successful know they can not waste the time God has allotted them. And they wisely used the time God has allotted them.

One of the smartest things a person can do is take a course in “Time management,” and learn to use the time allotted to them wisely.