Once a day gets past you, you can never get it back.  Lost opportunities are just that – lost.  If you have a desire to impact others in a positive way, or effect some real change in your sphere of influence by living for Jesus, it cannot be done by dwelling on past regrets or failures – or even past successes.  

Since you cannot change the past,

your real power is in the future!

As Believers, Christ expects us to fulfill the purpose He created us for, to keep a steady course, to not quit.  He doesn’t expect us to be idle. 

Idleness is a big deal in our culture.  It sets us up for failure.  You see, God created us to work – to fulfill His purposes.  Not to sit around and squander our precious gift of time.  Listen to Paul speaking about this at the end of his life:

“My life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus – the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God.”   Acts 20:24

God expects us to stay “on mission”

What keeps us from completing God’s mission for us here on Project Earth?  Below are what I think are:

Our Three Biggest Enemies To Finishing Well:

1. Distraction: 

• we are too busy 
• we don’t have enough margin in our lives

2. Dissipation:

• we are too scattered
• we don’t focus on the most important things

3. Discouragement:

• we are too tired
• we don’t rest and re-create properly 

Although “Idle hands are the Devil’s workshop” isn’t in the Bible, the principal certainly is.  The Puritan theologian Thomas Watson once said: 

“Idle people tempt the devil to tempt them.”

Idleness is described as:  not working, not active, not being used or having much activity.  But it also is defined as: “having no purpose or value.”  You see, we can be “busy” but never accomplish anything of eternal value.

Friends, I urge you to take a close look at your calendar, your priorities, and your pursuits.  Then, ask God if these are the things HE wants you to be doing.  Then, make any necessary adjustments.  

We are in this for the long haul folks!

Love you all,

Steve 🙂 

“God, I pray, light these idle sticks of my life, that I may burn for You. Consume my life, my God, for it is Yours. I seek not a long life, but a full one, like You, Lord Jesus.”

-Jim Elliot