"Time is the most valuable thing a man can spend." -Theophrastus

We only have so much time, before our lives end and bodies deteriorate. And as Christians, we believe that how we spent our time on Earth determines where we will spend eternity. So, since time is such an enormous responsibility on our behalf, the question must be asked:

How does one honor God with their time?

For starters, we must be reminded that time is not ours to keep. We are mere stewards of the time given to us by God. Without God, there is no time. There are countless places in the Bible referring to using our time wisely, but the story that comes to mind is the Parable of the Talents, found in Matthew 25:14-29. In this parable, a master gives money to his three servants, in hopes that they will invest it and do something productive. This is like how God gives us our lives - full of time, abilities, and opportunities - in order that we may use them to further His kingdom. As we can see later on in the story, two of the servants had something to show for their master. They were praised and rewarded. But one servant did nothing with his talent, so the master scolded him and threw him out into the darkness. This parable is in no way light and fluffy. The Lord takes the time of our lives very seriously. If we choose to live selfish and sinful lives than we are condemned to eternity in hell.

It is important to remember that it is not our actions that allow us to spend eternity in heaven, but it is our submission to Jesus Christ and our desire to obey God. It is not by good works do we have faith, but because of our faith we want to do good works.

Since God deeply desires to have a relationship with us, I believe that it is primarily important to spend our time with Him. We need to put the world and our lives on halt in order to seek Him. It is vital that we offer our time before God, resting in His presence, and wallowing in the love He has for us. We must not come expecting some great reward or gift. The only longing in our hearts must be to draw close to and experience God.

Secondly, we must spend our time devoted to furthering His kingdom. We must use every opportunity to show other people just how amazing God is, so they too can experience His love and accept His invitation of eternity. We can't be selfish in our actions. It is easy, when sharing the gospel with others, to be self-conscious or to attempt to get people to like you, but life isn't about us. We shouldn't waste our time being afraid or anxious. That's how the Enemy tricks you into using up your time.

I would like to challenge you with this today: take time to rest in God's presence, and take time to use your opportunities to share God's love with others. Don't be the servant that didn't do anything with his master's money. Turn that money into something bigger.

So, that's my two cents on how to honor God with our time. If you have any comments or any questions let me know.