Your Time Matters



 Godly Priorities and Time Management

What is the very best, most productive and alert time of your day? What if you were to give that time to God?  We often give God the sleepy hour just before we fall asleep or the time of day when we aren’t very alert to reading the Bible and spending time with Him.  Countless times we are tempted to give some of our most alert hours to ourselves. For us women, I’m referring to hair and make-up. I should also mention the time we spend standing in the closet searching for the “outfit of the day.” If we could hear the ticking of the clock, how much time would be ticking away?  For some, this can quickly add up to a lot of time. 

What if we applied the first fruits and tithing concepts to our time?  What would that look like?  What would it look like for you if you gave the best and most productive part of your day to God?   I like the translation in The Message Bible of Proverbs 3:9  which says, “Honor God with everything you own; give him the first and the best.” In Ephesians 5:15-17 the Word of God clearly tells us to, “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.”

Let me encourage you to take the “time management challenge.” Time management is really activity management. You will need to make a list. There is power in writing things out and being able to visually see your goals will help you stay on track. For some of us, it will save time if we are not wasting it by trying to remember what we need to be doing. Keep a special notebook and each day set your goals and plans. Prioritize them by listing first things first. On the top of all of our lists should be “spending time with God.”

I recently made some life changes and time management was one of them. While on a women’s retreat, I heard from the Lord regarding many areas of my life but the main one was the time I was spending with the Lord or what little time I was spending with Him.  I committed to give Him the first fruit of my day. Now, I begin most every day with Him. It’s a very special time which has become something I yearn for. I start with a devotional which leads me to scriptures in the Bible. Then I spend time in prayer and stillness. By being still, we can hear from God. It may be through a song, through a scripture or He may speak to us in our thoughts. Keep a notebook handy to write down what He speaks to you.  Proverbs 16:3 “Commit your works to the LORD, and your thoughts will be established.”

A wonderful thing has happened! When I give God the first fruits of my time, I have the energy and time to accomplish all the things on my “to do” list and then some! Spending time in His presence energizes me for all of the tasks I need to do and all of the decisions I have to make for the day. When we spend time with God first, He has a way of bending schedules and events in our favor.

It’s my heart’s desire to give my best to God.

Join me. Make a commitment today to give Him the first fruits of your time and energy.

Sign your name beside mine, along with the date as a symbol of your commitment.  

Melissa Snyder    _________________________________

“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” Matthew 6:33