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Ephesians 5:16 says, Make the most of your time, because the days are evil.
Time is like money. When you go to the shops, you don’t waste all your money on cheap things that won’t last. You want to buy good quality things that are going to last. Our time is like that. We only have a limited amount of it. What are you going to spend your time on? Things that make the most of your time:
Things that don't make the most of your time:
Why is how we use our time important? Paul said that the days are evil. Even though Jesus died and rose again so that we can spend eternity with him, the world is still full of sin and evil. We only have a finite time on this earth until we die or Jesus comes again. We should be so grateful for what Jesus did for us, that it motivates us to use our time living for and glorifying him.
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 I went to a restaurant this week with beautiful views of the sunset. As I waited to be taken to my table, I overheard the waitress ask the guests behind me if they had a reservation. They did not and were disappointed that they were to be seated at the back of the restaurant, away from the stunning views.
As I reflected on this, I realised that eternity is a bit like that. You can't just wing it, and rock up at the end of your life (whenever that is) and expect to get the best seat in the house. You need to make a reservation. In Philippians 4:3, Paul talks about some of the people who had helped him spread the Good News about Jesus and said, Their names are written in the book of life. The book of life is like eternity's reservation book. So, how do you make a reservation to spend eternity with Jesus? 1 John 1:9 says, But if we confess our sins, he will forgive our sins. We can trust God. He does what is right. He will make us clean from all the wrongs we have done. Nothing we can do on our own can get us there, only what Jesus did on the cross. Do you have a reservation? Ephesians 5:15 says, So be very careful how you live. Do not live like those who are not wise. Live wisely. People who are unwise live for themselves and for the moment - they don't think about eternity. When you are surrounded by people like this, it's hard not to live like them.
I climbed up a very steep hill today and had to be very careful that I didn't fall off. The Christian life is like that - you have to be careful in case you fall away from your faith. The New Testament contains many warnings about being careful. Here are some of them: Be careful of false prophets - Matthew7:15 Be careful of false prophets. They come to you and look gentle like sheep. But they are really dangerous like wolves. False prophets are people who claim to speak the word of God, but it's not. You can test what they're saying against the Bible to see if it's true. Be careful because you don't know when Jesus will come again - Mark 13:32-33 No one knows when that day or time will be. The Son and the angels in heaven don’t know. Only the Father knows. Be careful! Always be ready! Be careful not to be greedy - Luke 12:15 Then Jesus said to them, “Be careful and guard against all kinds of greed. A man’s life is not measured by the many things he owns.” Be careful not to cause weaker Christians to sin - 1 Corinthians 1:9 But be careful with your freedom. Your freedom may cause those who are weak in faith to fall into sin. Be careful not to be pulled away from the truth - Hebrews 2:1 So we must be more careful to follow what we were taught. Then we will not be pulled away from the truth. Be careful not to commit sexual sin - Hebrews 12:16 Be careful that no one takes part in sexual sin. Be careful to listen when God speaks - Hebrews 12:25 So be careful and do not refuse to listen when God speaks. Be careful of the devil - 1 Peter 5:8 Control yourselves and be careful! The devil is your enemy. And he goes around like a roaring lion looking for someone to eat. Be careful not to be led astray by non-Christians - 2 Peter 3:17 So be careful. Do not let those evil people lead you away by the wrong they do. Be careful so that you will not fall from your own strong faith. Which of these warnings resonates with you? What do you need to be careful of? Ephesians 5:10 says, Find out what pleases the Lord. How do we know what pleases God? Colossians 1:9-12 gives us some clues.
We ask God that you will know fully what God wants. We pray that you will also have great wisdom and understanding in spiritual things. Then you will live the kind of life that honors and pleases the Lord in every way. You will produce fruit in every good work and grow in the knowledge of God. Then God will strengthen you with his own great power. And you will not give up when troubles come, but you will be patient. Then you will joyfully give thanks to the Father. According to this passage, here are some things that please God:
Do you think you live a life that pleases God? Which one of these things do you need to work on? |
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