“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” –Jeremiah 29:11
“To everything there is a season,
A time for every purpose under heaven:
A time to be born,
And a time to die;
A time to plant,
And a time to pluck what is planted;” –Ecclesiastes 3:1-2
There are two powers in life that each one of us has to deal with daily. We can never control or stop these two forces—Time and Change. A man’s life consists of how he manages time and how he responds to change. You become who you are due to how you use time and changes in your life. The key to your future is the successful management of these two. You cannot stop time, and you cannot stop change. All you can do is manage them and become what you are.
Time is an amazing power. Every day, every week, every month, and every year is a gift from the Lord. God has given us time, a powerful gift, for one purpose—to fulfill a divine assignment. Time is not where God dwells, for He is in eternity. But He has given us time as a gift because He has also given us a divine assignment, purpose, and plan that we must fulfill while we are still here on this earth. If we waste a lot of our time not doing God’s purpose, the question is, will we be able to finish the assignment? Because God has only given us limited time, we do not have forever to fulfill our divine assignment. Sadly, many Christians don’t grasp that we were put here on earth to do something, and we don’t have the luxury of experimenting in other areas that are not part of our divine purpose. The passing of time makes us accountable to God.
Why did God give us the gift of time? Have you ever stopped to think about this?
In Job 14:5-6, it says:
“Since his days are determined,
The number of his months is with You;
You have appointed his limits, so that he cannot pass.
Look away from him that he may rest,
Till like a hired man he finishes his day.”
We don’t get to decide how long we will live. The truth is that our lives are on a timer. We only have a certain amount of time to do what we’re supposed to do, and then when Jesus calls us home, we will be accountable for what we have done. Being advanced in years doesn’t mean automatically blessed, and dying young doesn’t mean being cursed. Jesus only needed 33 years on this earth to fulfill God’s assignment for Him. This is a reminder not to waste our time whether our stay here on earth is short or long.
What are you going to do with another year?
We were not put here on earth just to pay bills, work a job, and make money. God tells us in His Word that we have something to do with the time He has given us. We don’t have forever to do it. How many Christians have heard their assignment? How many have memorized Scriptures that explain their assignment but never get to do it? Those who don’t obey what God has called them to do aren’t making the most out of their time and might not be doing right in God’s eyes.
Remember that every new year is a chapter in our lives that we need to manage. Time and change are the building blocks of life. These are the only commodities in life that every human being has in common. So let us make 2022 a year where we become professional managers of our time and the changes we will encounter. The call is clear: Let us stop wasting our time.
God places us in time because through us, He can bring His eternal Kingdom to those who are here on earth. God wants to extend his invisible Kingdom to the visible world so He put us in time. We were sent into time so that those who are bound by time could know what eternity looks like.
“Then God said, “Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years;”
Time is a gift and a blessing from God. He gave us days and months to say that the pain we experienced was yesterday but not today. Time allows us to get rid of what we’re experiencing by pushing it back into history so that we can live in the future with hope and a chance to make our lives better.
The good news is that what we experience is only for a season. Time protects us from living in permanent states. It shows us that many things on this earth don’t last forever—including our trials. Whatever season you may be going through right now will not be permanent. You can make the most out of the time and changes to become victorious.
Recognize the assignments that God put together and take full advantage of His purpose and plan for you. He has opened a door for us that no one can shut. If we are steadfast and faithful, we will have the chance to redefine our purpose, renew our vision, and set new goals for our lives.
Planning is the key
“See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.” –Ephesians 5:15-17
“A man’s heart plans his way,
But the Lord directs his steps.” –Proverbs 16:9
Never forget the principle that you can effectively manage your time and the changes happening to you. The key is planning. We cannot control time and change, but we can plan how we use them. Successful people are simply people who effectively plan how they use time without allowing distractions to throw them off the track. If you don’t plan what you’re going to do, somebody else will do it for you.
Go into this new year with a plan so strong that time will submit to it, and change will become its servant. The Holy Spirit is saying that this will be the year of changes in time. Change will destroy us if we go through this year without a plan. So don’t get caught unprepared.
Change can destroy you or it can lead to your destiny. “Commit your works to the Lord, And your thoughts will be established (Proverbs 16:3).” When we come to the Lord and seek His will, He will cause our plans to succeed. Let us get serious with God and let Him show us the plan. God never plans for our failure. If we allow Him to lead us, the change we’re going to see will be divine. He is going to interfere with our affairs providentially. This year, He will put Himself in the middle of our situations, even those that seem to be immovable.
God has changes for us that will open new horizons we never thought possible. Are you ready for this divine change?
