Our Twenty-Four Hours

“There just are not enough hours in a day!”  I have heard that lament more times than I can count.  From women of all ages and in all stages of life.  And, no doubt, there are days – seasons even – when the demands on our time seem to be far more than what is possible to accomplish in twenty-four hours.  Interestingly, on slow afternoons while volunteering, I will ask my friends if they have time for another round of UNO.  Almost without fail their answers resemble, “We have nothing but time!”  They aren’t actually complaining.  Life simply does that.  Has a way of shifting perspective – even with our time.  The truth is – we all have the same amount of time.  The same twenty-four hours in a day.  The deeper truth is we are all expected to be stewards of that time – and not just stewards but wise stewards.

Whatever age.  Whatever season of life.  Whatever status or life situation we may in, we are to be good managers of the time we are given.  A steward is exactly that: a manager of that which has been entrusted to them.  Including our days and our time.

I was recently reading the parable, in Matthew 25, of the three servants given talents to manage while the master is away.  The number of talents given was different and, it seems, even the expectations were different (all three did not have to have the same results in order to please the master) but one thing was the same.  All three servants had the same amount of time while the master was away.  The last servant could not (and did not) use the excuse that he did not have enough time.  And I think there is a lesson there for us.  No doubt, many lessons there; however, my heart has been heavy lately about using each day – every 24 hours – wisely.  So as to honor Him and He can say, “Thou hast been faithful.”

Ephesians 5:15 admonishes us to redeem the time.  To make the best use of our time.  Not only, taking advantage of opportunities and open doors but also to obediently follow His promptings and leadings.  In the last week or so, three different ones I know have passed away – two of them very unexpectedly.  The Lord had prompted me (twice) in recent weeks to visit one of these sweet friends….and I had every intention to do so.  But now the opportunity is lost and the best of intentions is no more of an excuse than not enough time.

The open doors and opportunities for each us every week are as different as the demands and pressures on our time.  There is no one size fits all answer on how to use your time…what to say yes to or how best to organize your hours.  But the responsibility is the same.  Each of us needs to ask God how He would have us use today.  Use this week.  Use this season of our life.  Allow Him to show you how to steward your time – and then do it His way.