Until the Lord returns, each day holds within it exciting unique opportunities for us to serve the Lord! Let me encourage you to begin each day with prayer! Take time every day to spend some time alone with God, read your Bible and pray about the activities before you. Give God the opportunity to guide your thoughts and your actions, to align them with His Divine purposes. When we consecrate our time and talents to the Lord, He is able to show us how to redeem the time.
Colossians 4:5: . . . walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time.
Ephesians 5:16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
Art Demoss, the insurance executive, was a great soul-winner. When he died, hundreds of people attended his funeral. During that service, the pastor asked the audience, “If you have come to know the Lord as your Savior as a result of Art Demoss, would you please stand.” Over 500 people stood up that day at his funeral. What a testimony to a man who used his time and talents for the Lord.
Think about this! If we invest 30 minutes a day each month in the Lord’s work, we are investing 15 hours a month. If we take 15 hours times the number of years we have left to live—there is no telling what we can accomplish for the Lord!
Whatever our position may be…whether we are a homemaker, a musician, a teacher, a speaker, or a cook, God has entrusted each of us with special gifts and talents. When we commit our hearts to serve him, He is able to use our personalities, interests, and life experiences to transform us into His image. His purpose for our lives is for us to use our gifts and talents to accomplish His will while we are on this earth.
On days when you are unsure of what you should be doing…stop and pray. Allow the Lord to guide you ‘step by step’ ‘minute by minute’ throughout your day. I guarantee you, by the end of the day as you reflect and give thanks, it will amaze you what the Lord was able to accomplish through you by being obedient to His leading.
God did not give us time and talent to just serve ourselves. He tells us in Revelation 4:11 that He created us to bring glory to Him. He guides us and gives us discernment to know what His perfect will is for us. For some of you, the Lord may be guiding you to learn a new language so that you can communicate your faith with more people. For others, He may be guiding you to learn new ways of organizing your lives so that you will have more time to minister.
Remember Satan is our ever-present enemy, and he wants us to get our eyes off the Lord. God’s desire for our lives is for us to grow into a deeper relationship with Him and to have a greater understanding of His ways. It is only when we begin to understand this principle, that we will begin to experience true fulfillment, joy, and peace.
Let me encourage you to:
- Not be weary in well doing, for in due season you shall reap if you faint not!’
- Pray and ask the Lord to reveal to you opportunities to bless and encourage others with your gifts and talents.
- Be assured that a day is coming when you will rejoice and be glad for those times that you sacrificed your will for His.
- Join me in redeeming the time before our Lord returns.
- Proclaim as Jesus did: “nevertheless, not my will, but Thy will be done!”
Romans 14:19 Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another.