Are You Fruitful or Busy?

Don't you think it's interesting that your entire life comes down to a dash? What are you doing with your dash?

We all have a day when we are born and a day that we die. The dash is the middle. It is what lies between. And a dash is about how long it feels when we reach the age of 70 or 80. Life on this earth is quick. James 4:14 says our lives are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Don't get to be 80 years old and have a lot of regrets. Don't spend your life climbing the ladder of success to realize that your ladder is lying across the wrong building when you get up the top. It's not about just finding something to make you more productive. Perhaps we need to DO a little less so we can take the time we're wasting and put it into really important things like relationships, getting some sleep and having some fun with family. This is all scriptural. 1 Peter 5:8 tells us to be balanced. Are you living a balanced life? Do you get enough sleep? 80% of people don't get enough sleep. Do you drink enough water? This is not rocket science. You can fix your life easier than you think.  So many of the problems we have have simple fixes.

We should be living for eternity. It's very important to make decisions now that makes things right when this life on earth is over. Matthew 16:19-20 says "do not to gather up, heap up and store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust and worm consume and destroy, and where thieves break through and steal. But gather and heap up and store for yourselves treasures in Heaven, whether neither moth nor rust nor worm consume and destroy, and where thieves steal."  So should we spend our life storing up stuff that's already in the process of decaying and will end up in a junk yard somewhere? There's nothing wrong with having things and enjoying things but we can't put them before what's really important. The people in your life are more important than your money. Our culture has gotten so caught up in the stuff that we've lost touch with why we're here. God has placed us HERE to get ready for THERE. We should be spending more of our time getting prepared for our eternal home. When we get to Heaven we will give an account to God as to how we spent our time on earth. What did we do with our dash?

Don't waste your life being angry, feeling sorry for yourself, hating those who have hurt you. Use your time wisely. Everything that you know you should do but don't do annoys you. Alleviate the aggravation and just do it! Instead of knowing you should spend some time with God in the morning before you leave the house just get up and DO IT! Don't behave as if time is a commodity that continues to multiply in your life. Every hour that we use is an hour we'll never get back. So we don't want to waste them. We want to use them wisely. Now is the time to invite Jesus into your life. This is the best and most impactful decision that you will ever make. It has eternal consequences and eternal benefits. He will give you the wisdom and strength to make the changes you need to make in your life. Our entrance into Heaven is not purchased with our good works. It is our purchased by the blood of Jesus. But we will get rewards for our works.  Heaven is a free gift bought by the blood of Jesus but what we do with our life now will be rewarded in Heaven. We don't know what exactly those rewards look like but they will be beyond GOOD, beyond anything we could imagine! You don't wanna miss them! 1 Corinthians 3:13-15 also tells us that if our works aren't pure ones we will lose them. Just because you're busy working doesn't mean you're busy working at what God wants you to work at. Revelation 22:12 says "Behold, I am coming soon. and I shall bring My wages and rewards with Me, to repay and render to each one just what his own actions and his own work merit."  

We must remember that this is NOT OUR HOME! Psalm 119:19 says "I am a stranger and a temporary resident on the earth." We're just passing through. 1 Peter 2:11 says " Beloved, I implore you as aliens and strangers and exiles (in this world) to abstain from the sensual urges (the evil desires, the passions of the flesh,your lower nature) that wages war against the soul." He is telling us not to bow down to the demands of the flesh. We're only going to be here for a short time like a puff of smoke, a wisp of vapor and then we're going to be standing in the presence of the Lord.  Today, we simply don't talk enough about the Lord coming back. We need to keep this truth in the forefront of our minds so it provokes us to think about HOW we are spending our time here. We need to stop messing around and wasting our life on the things that are not important because Jesus could show up at any minute! We want to BE ready not GET ready when He comes! We must realize that HE IS COMING BACK!!! We ARE going to stand before God and it could be very soon! None of us know how long we have left or the day or hour of His return. Therefore it would be wise for us to live smart and be prepared. Don't get so caught up in the busyness of life that you forget that this is not your true home. In Philippians 4:5 the apostle Paul tells us that this is not the time to be living a selfish, self centered life because Christ is coming soon. We need to get busy doing what God wants us to do.

Where did all of the time go? We should know where all of our time is going. Think about how you're actually spending your time. Do you find that some days just go by as a blur? We have a choice how we live it. We need to stop saying we're busy. We wear it like a badge. We're proud of our busyness. Often when you ask people what they've been doing they can't tell you. They just know they've been BUSY! (Buried Under Satan's Yoke) Instead we need to say we're FRUITFUL!

8 ways to avoid wasting your time: 1) Stop getting angry and upset about things you can't do anything about. Do not let the devil steal your peace. Your peace is your power! 2) Stop complaining. It changes nothing! The more you talk about your problems the bigger they become and the more angry and frustrated you become. Spend the time your normally spend complaining giving thanks and see what God does in your life. 3) Don't try to buy time by getting less sleep. If you get good rest you'll be sharp the next day and you won't make as many mistakes. Every mistake we make causes us time. 4) Stop hurrying. Rushing causes you to make mistakes. 5) Be Thankful for what you have. Tell God what you want. If it's right for you He'll give it to you at the right time. And while you're waiting for Him to do it enjoy what you got and be thankful for it. (Ecclesiastes 6:9)  Otherwise, your whole life passes you by while you're never living today hoping for something you don't have. 6) Stop living in the past. (Philippians 3:13) You can't go back and redo anything. Let it go and get on with life. It's never too late to begin again. 7) Take time to deal with little problems and you won't have to deal with big ones. Take time to correct your child when he/she is young and you won't have a rebellious teenager.  8) Locate the things that hijack your time and avoid them. We only get one life.

What are you gonna do with your dash? We all have the same amount of time but how we use it may vary. We need to make good choices with the guidance of the Holy Spirit. These good decisions reap eternal rewards. Live your life according to God's wisdom and you will have no regrets.

God Bless You!

In Christ, Sherry :-)

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