Treasuring Our Time (Part One)
Jerry Sivnksty
Many people are consumed with watching their investments. They are in constant touch with their broker or watching the business channel to make sure their finances are working for them. Their minds are focused on making right investments. The same should be true of us who are investing in eternity.
We ought to be watching the investment of our time, for time is of much greater value than finances. In Psalm 90:12 the psalmist said, “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.” In Psalm 90:10 we read, “The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.” A wise person contemplates his treasure of time and makes the best use of it. Psalm 39:4 declares, “LORD, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is; that I may know how frail I am.” We are here for a brief span of time. Many people say, “I can’t believe how quickly the years have gone by!” or “Where has the time gone?” In James 4:14 we read, “For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.” Our time is fleeting! The years go by quickly; therefore, we must see the wealth of our time and treasure it.
We have heard the phrase, “We must plan our work and then work our plan.” Many people do not have a schedule. As a result, their week is one of chaos because they fail to organize their time. We need to realize the importance of organizing our time and setting regular schedules. For example, I have spoken at a number of different youth camps over the last twenty years where the camp has a schedule so that the teens know exactly what is going on every hour of the day. There is a wakeup time, breakfast, cabin clean-up, morning service, morning devotions, game time, lunch, cabin time, and so forth. Their time is planned for the entire week. We too need to have our time regulated into different categories so we can wisely use the 168 hours we have each week.
What I am about to suggest is given with the intent of helping a person develop his timetable on a weekly basis. The first area to organize should be our devotional time. This should be a set time when a person is the most physically and mentally alert. King David cried out in Psalm 63:1, “O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is.” This man of God sought the Lord in the early hours of the morning. The best time for some to have their devotions is in the morning; for others it’s in the evening. The important thing is having a time of devotion with the Lord. This time is when a person is reading the Word of God and feasting upon its truths for his own spiritual enjoyment and contemplation. It’s a time when the truth of the Word is studied, meditated upon, and applied for spiritual growth and personal application.
May I caution those of us who are in the ministry that we beware of being so involved in the preparation of sermons that we neglect the time of personal devotions. The man who is always giving out the Word may be suffering from spiritual malnutrition. His walk with the Lord must be more important than his ministry; therefore, he must set aside time to thoroughly enjoy and feast upon the Word for his own spiritual strength.
Another segment of our time schedule should be set aside for prayer. In Mark 1:35 we read, “And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.” In Matthew 6:6 the Lord admonishes us, “But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou has shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.” Prayer time should have two elements. First, set aside a specific time for prayer. Second, find a secluded place so your can pour out your petitions to the Lord. I would encourage a person to have a prayer list and break it down into certain groups such as unsaved loved ones and those who have other spiritual and physical needs. They could also make a list of missionaries, pastors, youth pastors, music ministries, evangelists, etc. The list can be expanded in many ways; the crucial thing is that a Christian gets alone and seeks the Lord in earnest prayer. I personally believe that more is accomplished in one hour of prayer than in weeks of labor and toil in the ministry. We need a revival in the area of personal prayer! There is a God in heaven who sees, as Christ said in Matthew 6:6: “And thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.”
You may contact Evangelist Jerry Sivnksty at P.O. Box 141, Starr, SC 29684, or via e-mail at .
(Originally published in FrontLine • January/February 2004. Click here to subscribe to the magazine.)