Imagine we are in the cemetery. You look at the gravestone, see the person’s name, the date they were born and when they died. Between dates there is a dash. A human life – I think it is interesting to see that it is expressed in that dash from birth to death.
The question is, what are you doing with the dash?
Time gets very fast, you don’t want to reach the second half of your life and you only regret it. David talks about this in his poem sal.
Psalm 39:4-5 (ampc) states, “Lord, I know my end, and to thank you for the measure of my daily life, and you have made my days as (short) hand bleeds.
It is very important for us to spend time on important things in our lives. You don’t want to climb your life onto the ladder of success and spend your life just to know that you are leaning towards the wrong building when you get to the top!
The first Peter 5:8a (AMP) says, “You should be plain (balanced and self-disciplined).” This is the key to living purposeful living and counts time. You live a balanced life, have enough sleep, drink plenty of water, take care of yourself, and have the energy needed to do what God is leading you?
Are you focused on what’s important: your relationship with God, spending time with family and friends? People in your life are more important than money. Are you trying to store material possessions already in the process of corruption? Will it be a junk yard someday? That’s what happens here to everything we “worship.”
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There’s nothing wrong with having nice things and having fun, but you can’t afford to put them before anything really important. So I ask you again: What are you doing in your time? Are you investing it or wasting it?
Wisdom is doing what makes you happy later. A good example of this occurred in 2015 when I had a hip replacement surgery. After the surgery I healed very well. The doctor said it was because I was physically going well before the surgery. I was in great shape as I spent a lot of time working out, eating properly, getting a consistently good sleep and practicing other healthy habits. I have invested time in ways that will help me pay the price, buy my strength and recover well.
Another example is: I only have teeth that don’t have crowns. This is because when I was growing up, I have never been to a dentist unless I had an emergency. My dentist finally said, “If you don’t come for regular health checks or cleaning, don’t call in case of an emergency.”
I ended up spending more time fixing my teeth as I regularly went to the dentist and didn’t take time to take care of my teeth as I have. It takes a lot of time to crown your teeth. And there are lots of shots and pain!
The bottom line doesn’t force you to spend a lot of time taking care of the problems that have been prevented in the first place, if it takes a little time to do the right thing first.
I have discovered 8 simple and practical ways to avoid wasting your time:
– Stop being mad about things you can’t do. Determine to maintain your peace in all circumstances (John 14:27).
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– Don’t complain (Phil 2:14). It’s useless and never changes anything. The more we talk about the problem, the bigger they appear to be.
– Don’t try to “buy” your time by reducing sleep. This actually reduces the time, as you make more mistakes than you would if you were properly rested when you were tired. And all the mistakes take time to correct.
– Stop hurrying. This will waste your time by making mistakes.
– Rather than craving and chasing what you don’t have, enjoy what you have (ECCL. 6:9).
– I have not lived in the past. You can’t go back and try again. Let it go and continue life (Phil 3:8-13).
– Take your time to deal with most of the problems. And you won’t spend any more time dealing with the big things later.
– Be firm to identify what you hijack your time and avoid them.
We all have room to improve our lives. I would like to encourage you to decide to make a difference in the area where you need to grow, with the help of God. You will lead an abundant life in Christ (John 10:10) and count your “dashes” when you invest your time according to the plans he has for you! {eoa}
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For more information on this topic, order Joyce’s three-part educational resource, “Go Busy.” You can also contact us by calling 800-727-9673 or by visiting www.joycemeyer.org to receive the free magazine “Enjoying Daily Life”.
Joyce Meyer is a bestselling author of the New York Times and Joyce Meyer Ministries, Inc. He is the founder of the company. She has written over 140 books, including Battlefield of the Mind and Overcoming All Issues (Faithwords). She hosts “Enjoy Everyday Life” radio and television shows that air on hundreds of stations around the world. For more information, please visit www.joycemeyer.org.
Note: The opinions and opinions expressed in this publication and website are the views of their respective authors and do not necessarily reflect those of Joyce Meyer.
