Tag Archives: Time

From “Rylisms” by James Ryle

Numbering Our Days

“So teach us to number our days, that we may present to Thee a heart of wisdom.” (Psalm 90:12, NASB).

I once heard a comedian say, “Life is like a roll of toilet paper — the closer you get to the end, the faster it goes!”

Perhaps you have noticed how the pace of Life has picked up over the past few years; things seem to be moving faster and faster; Time seems to be turning into a blur. It was just yesterday, wasn’t it, that the big Y2K scare had people building bunkers and stocking up with beans and bullets? And here we are now — already pushing to the close of 2008.

With the upgraded pace of Life comes multiple choices of how we will spend our Time — and our lives. What will we do with what has been given to us? How will we steward our talents, resources, and opportunities. What will be the end of all our labors?

Shortly before his death, George Bernard Shaw was asked a most curious question by a eager young reporter. “Mr. Shaw,” he began, “you have visited with some of the world’s most famous people. You’ve known royalty, renowned authors, great artists, brilliant teachers, and admired dignitaries from every part of the world. You have conversed with scientists and celebrities alike. If you could live your life over and be anybody you’ve ever known – who would you choose to be?”

Shaw answered with hardly a hesitation, “I would choose to be the man George Bernard Shaw could have been – but never was.”

Shaw died one month later – died as a man bound within the limitations of a life that did not reach its full potential, that did not achieve its highest purpose.

May you so number you days, even in the midst of this blistering pace, so that you have no regrets as your turn the final corner on this thing called Life. May you exit this world and enter the next with a heart of wisdom and a life well-lived.

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From “The Word For You Today” by Bruce Christian

TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR TIME (3)

Time is like money; it must be budgeted.  That means determining the difference between the fixed – what you must do – and the discretionary – what you would like to do.  What caused Jesus to be such an organized person?  (1)  He understood His mission.  During His final walk to Jerusalem where He would be crucified, His ears picked up the voice of a blind man and He stopped, much to the consternation of His friends.  They were irritated that Jesus did not appreciate that Jerusalem was still six or seven hours away and they would like to get there to achieve their purpose, the celebration of the Passover (See Lk 18:35-42).  From where they were standing, it appeared that Jesus was misusing His time.  But from where Jesus was standing, the time was well spent for it fitted the criteria of His mission.  (2)  He understood His limits.  He knew what we so often forget: that time must be properly budgeted for gathering inner strength and resolve in order to compensate for one’s weaknesses when spiritual warfare begins.  Knowing His limits, such private moments were a fixed item on Jesus’ time budget.  And it was hard for even those closest to Him to fully appreciate this.  (3)  He had His eye on the future.  Jesus spent the lion’s share of His time training twelve men.  He said, “I will build my church” (Mt 16:18 NKJV).  How did He plan to build it?  Through others.  So, the way to maximize your time – is to keep your life’s purpose before you at all times and evaluate each decision in the light of it.

From “The Word For You Today” by Bruce Christian

TAKE CONTROL OF YOU TIME (2)

Gordon MacDonald gives us some of the traits of a disorganized life.  See if you recognize any: “(1) Appointments/messages/deadlines missed.  I know I’m disorganized when there are a series of forgotten appointments, telephone messages to which I have failed to respond, and deadlines which I have begun to miss.  The day becomes filled with broken commitments and lame excuses.  (2) Unproductive tasks.  If I am disorganized I tend to invest my energies in unproductive tasks…There is a tendency to daydreaming, and avoidance of decisions that have to be made, and procrastination.  (3) Lack of intimacy with God.  Disorganized Christians rarely enjoy intimacy with God.  No one has to tell them that time must be set aside for the purpose of Bible study and reflection, for intercession, for worship.  They know all of that.  They simply are not doing it.  They excuse themselves, saying there is no time.  But they know it is more a matter of organization and personal will than anything else.  (4)  Shallow personal relationships. Days pass without a significant  conversation with my son or daughter.  My wife and I will be in contact but our conversations may be shallow.  I may become irritable, resenting any attempt on her part to call attention to things I have left undone or people I appear to have let down.  (5)  Lack of self-esteem.  When we our disorganized in our control of time we just don’t like ourselves, our jobs, or much else about our worlds.  And it is difficult to break the destructive pattern that settles in.  This terrible habit pattern of disorganization must be broken, or our private worlds will quickly fall into total disorder.

I Just Don’t Have the Time

I Just Don’t Have the Time

 

I just don’t have the time
For things the way I used to.
Just don’t have the time to invest
Myself and my energy in people,
Places, and ideas that fail to produce
Much or anything of value.

I’m sorry but I don’t have the time
To invest in listening to people
Who never have anything good to say, and
Who try at every turn to bring others
Down to their level.

I’m sorry but my life is too short
To spend it in hating people who are just
Different than me.
My life is too short to spend it in trying to convince
Anyone of anything.
I just don’t have the time to get involved
With people who just can’t let other people be.

I’m sorry but I just don’t have the time
To listen to lies, to people who try to justify,
and rationalize disgusting behavior
simply because they want to.
I just don’t have the time to sit around
and groan, and moan, about all that’s
wrong in the world instead of living in wonder
At all that’s wonderful in it.

I’m sorry but I just don’t have the time
To get involved in your self-pity,
in your unending misery, in your callous disregard
Of other people and their feelings.
I just don’t have the time to listen
To people who try to keep so much of an open mind
that they can’t keep a decent thought in it.

I’m sorry but I just don’t have the time to listen
to the liberal left who scream about freedom,
but don’t have the guts to fight for it, and who
trivialize and make light of all the people who’ve died
so that they can have their precious rights.

I’m sorry but I just don’t have the time, and I’m
not going to take the time to notice the ugliness
Of people who can’t rule their own hearts with love,
and who make no effort to show any sort of gratitude
for the gifts they’ve been given.

I just don’t have the time. . . .

@Wayne Augden