Time is All We Have

Time is God’s free gift to us. We cannot manufacture any more time than what we have been given. Every moment of every day, we choose how we will use that gift. Once a moment is spent, it cannot be returned. “See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.” (Ephesians 5:15-16). To walk circumspectly means to look around while we are walking. Someone who is wise will look around while they are living their life, but a fool will give away his time. Both are given the same tool of time, but one will redeem it, cashing in on its value, while the other will waste it.

Quality time doesn't lead to quantity time. Quantity time leads to quality time.

Time is the greatest asset we can invest. Where we spend our time determines what we value and what gives value to us. And the more value an activity gives to us, the more quality moments it will have in our life. Quantity time naturally leads to quality time as we shape ourselves by our habits. Quality time doesn’t happen because we want it to happen; quality happens because we invested quantity time. All of our time is quality time, and all our time is quantity time; there shouldn’t be a distinction. Some moments will naturally be more memorable to us than others: our first kiss, watching our children take their first steps etc. …. However, we typically only get to have those experiences after we put in the quantity time. We sometimes forget the value of the quantity time because we remember the quality time moments better. Yet the investment of quantity time that leads to the fruit of quality moments is equally valuable. Saying we are investing quality time, does not give us an excuse to neglect quantity time. Time is a resource and how we use it will determine what becomes quality time through quantity time.

If we don’t spend time learning we won’t learn anything.

Time is like a seed. Wherever we sow the seed of time is where it will grow into a fruit bearing plant. We can’t expect to have strawberries if we sowed our time in a grape field. “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.” (Galatians 6:7). We cannot expect to grow a vibrant fruit garden if we are watering the weeds. We decide where we are going to invest our time. Every moment, time is invested. If time is not consciously spent tending the garden, it is given to the weeds.

To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven

Ecclesiastes 3:1

A weed by definition is a plant that is growing where you don’t want it. A rose may be beautiful, but if it is growing in your corn field, it is by definition a weed. If we invest our time in roses when we are in our corn field, we will be watering weeds. We must spend our time on good endeavors; we also must spend our time on the right endeavors. We should not jump into action when God has called us to pray, and we should not sit back and pray when God has called us to do something. Listen to God; decide what He has called you to do, and then go and do it. We must do the good things God has for us with the time He has given to us. We do not get any more time than the time God has allotted to us.