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Realizing the presence, promise, and power of the Kingdom of God.
ReVision

Three Disciplines

Here are three ways to use your time for the Kingdom.

Time for the Kingdom (7)

So teach usto number our days,
That we may gain a heart of wisdom.
Psalm 90.12

Time and our journey
We began this look at the time of our lives by considering the gift of time, and seeing ourselves as stewards of this gift, called to invest it in such a way as to return glory and honor to God with all the time of our lives.

When we see our lives from the vantage point of Jesus Christ, exalted in glory and furthering His Kingdom economy on earth as it is in heaven, this helps us to understand better what we’re supposed to be doing with our time. Seeking the Kingdom of God with all our time, in all our work is our highest priority, so we need to gain an understanding both of how we are using our time in the present, and how we can improve the use of our time.

Living each day within the framework of our lives as a journey toward eternal glory can help us to grow in the Lord, draw on His strength, live sacrificially for others, and do the good works for which we have been redeemed by the Lord (Eph. 2.8-10).

Putting it all together
But how do we put this all together?

Practically speaking, how can we get into a rhythm of making the most of our time each day, so that, at the end of each day, we can have the satisfaction of knowing that the labors of that day – all the ways we have used our time – have not been in vain (1 Cor. 15.58)? Let me suggest three disciplines for an ongoing process that can help us to be good and faithful servants of God because we are good stewards of His most precious gift of time.

First, put in place some system for continuous planning.

If, as Moses prayed, we can “number” our days – and all the moments of them – before we get to them, we’ll be more likely to use them for the purposes of the Kingdom than if we just wait around for the next moment to show up and see what it brings. Christians, as we’ve seen, must live toward the future, arranging the days of their lives in patterns that foreshadow, anticipate, and actually make visible the Kingdom and glory to which we are called and toward which we are journeying.

By planning our lives carefully, thinking through in advance how we want to live the days of our lives, we’ll have more success in making the most of our time, because we will have accounted for the use of this most precious gift before we actually begin to unwrap it.

Second, learn to live within an envelope of prayer, so that you are continuously in communication with the living God.

Let Psalm 139.23, 24 guide you here: “Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting.” If this simple prayer can become the attitude of our hearts throughout the day, we’ll be open to however the Lord may want to convict, correct, or co-opt our time for the purposes of His Kingdom.

Taking a few moments at different times of the day, just to pray this prayer and listen for the Lord’s prompting, can help to make this prayer an attitude in which you continuously pursue your journey with the Lord in the time of your life.

Finally, partner with a few soul friends who love you, know how you’re trying to live your life, and will provide prayer, encouragement, and accountability for every step of your journey. These should be people who will take seriously the command to “consider one another in order to stir up love and good works” (Heb. 10.24). As you meet with your soul friends for prayer, sharing, strategizing, and growth, you’ll find such companionship to be an invaluable resource to help you in your journey with the Lord.

The time of your life
The time of your life that remains to you, whether the days be many or few, can be a glorious, joyous, hope-filled adventure of living for Christ and His Kingdom in these last days. The time of your life can be, well, the time of your life, full of meaning, and fruitful living for the Lord.

But you’ll need to take seriously the challenge of stewardship which God has laid upon you by bestowing His most precious gift of time into your care.

For reflection or discussion
1.  How much, and in what specific ways, do the three disciplines outlined here factor in your use of the time of your life?

2.  “The time of your life can be, well, the time of your life, full of meaning, and fruitful living for the Lord.” For you, personally, what are some of the keys for making this true of all the time of your life?

3.  Suggest some ways that Christians can help one another do a better job of making the most of the time God gives them:

Next steps – Preparation: Planning, prayer, and partners: Are these three disciplines for making the most of the time in place in your life? How might you add or strengthen each of these for your journey in the Lord? Share your thoughts with a Christian friend.

T. M. Moore

This week’s ReVision study is Part 2 of a 10-part series, “The Kingdom Economy.” You can download “Time for the Kingdom” as a free PDF, prepared for personal or group study. Simply click here.

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Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

 

T.M. Moore

T. M. Moore is principal of The Fellowship of Ailbe, a spiritual fellowship in the Celtic Christian tradition. He and his wife, Susie, make their home in the Champlain Valley of Vermont.
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