Using Time Wisely: A Spiritual Discipline for Eternity

Launching a new year, the focus turns to the spiritual discipline most easily overlooked and most universally shared: the use of time. Time is precious not simply because it is scarce, but because it is irreversible; once spent, it cannot be recovered. Today matters because human life is finite—mortality loads every moment with meaning. Unlike money, health, or even relationships that can often be regained, time never returns. The call, then, is to treat time as a God-given trust rather than a personal possession.

The pattern is found in Jesus. With only thirty-three years, he could say to the Father, “I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do” (John 17:4). God gives both the work and the window in which to do it. Faithfulness means learning to finish what God assigns within the time God allots.

Three truths sharpen this stewardship. First, time is fading. Scripture likens life to a handbreadth and a breath—here, then gone. The illusion of “saving” or “making” time collapses under the reality that even the world’s wealth and wisdom cannot manufacture a single additional minute. Second, time is easily misused. Proverbs’ “sluggard” is not just lazy; he is busy, noisy, risk-averse, and self-assured, yet going nowhere. Ephesians 5 warns that “the days are evil,” meaning saturated with distractions that quietly siphon attention away from God’s will. Third, time precedes eternity. What is done in time echoes forever. “Now” is the day of salvation; every day we are becoming more or less the person God intends.

With that urgency, three uses of time are urged for 2026. Spend time in Scripture; God-breathed words do more than inform—they train and equip for every good work, turning good intentions into readiness. Spend time serving the vulnerable; Matthew 25 reveals that God notices when we give ourselves to those who cannot repay us—this is service rendered to Christ himself. And spend time practicing gratitude in all circumstances; thanksgiving does not deny pain, it discovers God’s present goodness within it. If one can be thankful in everything, one can endure anything. The path forward is simple, weighty, and clear: use time to become Christlike and to accomplish the work God has entrusted.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Time is brief; today matters Today carries weight because life is finite and time is nonrenewable. The myth of “saving time” blinds hearts to the stewardship of the present moment. Wisdom counts days so that hearts gain insight, not anxiety. Treat each day as a trust to be returned, not a surplus to be stockpiled. [28:49]
• 2. Steward time to finish God’s work God gives both the task and the timetable; faithfulness is measured by finishing, not merely starting. Learning to say no to lesser goods is often how one says yes to God’s assignments. Discernment clarifies what only you must do, and courage frees you to leave the rest. Finishing is an act of worship. [31:42]
• 3. Beware busyness without real fruit Like a door on its hinges, life can swing with constant motion yet never advance. Activity can mask fear, indecision, or comfort-seeking; noise is not the same as impact. Fruitfulness grows where attention, obedience, and perseverance converge. Evaluate outcomes by godly fruit, not by calendar fullness. [42:28]
• 4. Distractions can be spiritually evil Ephesians frames “evil days” as days crowded with diversions that displace God’s will. A distraction is not sinful until it becomes sovereign; then it quietly rules the heart. Wisdom curates attention, refuses fragmentation, and redeems opportunities. Guarding focus is a moral and spiritual act. [45:25]
• 5. Serve the vulnerable; God notices Christ identifies himself with “the least of these,” making love for the marginalized a direct encounter with him. This is not transactional charity but incarnational presence—time spent, hands dirtied, names learned. When love cannot be repaid, it reveals its true motive. Such moments become eternal investments. [57:41]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [26:04] - Introducing spiritual disciplines
• [27:17] - The discipline of time
• [31:42] - Jesus finished the work
• [33:28] - Life is a handbreadth
• [35:00] - Time melts like ice
• [39:08] - Misusing time: the sluggard
• [44:27] - Make the most of time
• [45:25] - Distractions as spiritual evil
• [46:27] - Time and eternity
• [48:04] - Now is the day of salvation
• [54:18] - Scripture prepares us for good works
• [56:29] - Serve the vulnerable; God notices
• [61:23] - Gratitude in every circumstance
• [64:23] - Prayer and commitment

Bible reading

- John 17:4

I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do.

- Ephesians 5:15–17

Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.

- Matthew 25:31–40

When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

Then the King will say to those on his right, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.”

Then the righteous will answer him, “Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?”

The King will reply, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”

Observation questions

1. In John 17:4, what does Jesus say he has finished, and who gave that work to him?
2. In Ephesians 5:15–17, list the commands and the reasons given. What contrasts does Paul use to describe how to live?
3. In Matthew 25:31–40, what specific actions are commended by the King, and how does he interpret those actions?
4. The message used the picture, “As a door turns on its hinges…” to describe motion without progress. What two pictures were used to show busyness and noise without real movement? [41:53]

Interpretation questions

1. “God gives us work to do, but he also gives us the time with which to do it.” How does that shape the way a believer thinks about goals, limits, and finishing well in this season of life? [32:02]
2. Ephesians says to make the most of every opportunity because “the days are evil.” If “evil” can mean distraction, when does a distraction become spiritually dangerous rather than harmless? [45:25]
3. “A sluggard is wiser in his own eyes than seven people who answer discreetly.” What kind of heart posture is this, and how might it waste time even when life feels full? [43:51]
4. “Whatever you did for one of the least of these…you did for me” (Matthew 25). If serving the vulnerable is received by Christ himself, how should that change how a believer plans the week? What would count as real presence with people in need? [58:01]

Application questions

1. “God gives us work to do, but he also gives us the time with which to do it.” What is one assignment God has clearly put in front of you for this quarter, and what would “finishing” look like? What good thing will you say no to so you can say yes to that work? [32:02]
2. “The days are full of distractions.” Name your top two distractions right now. What simple guardrails (time limits, turning alerts off, a focused hour, etc.) will you put in place this week to keep them from ruling your attention? [45:25]
3. “By using Scripture…[a person] can be completely prepared to do every good thing.” What is a realistic Bible plan you will start (time, place, plan), and how will you stay accountable? [54:39]
4. “God notices even a cup of water” given to someone who cannot repay. Who is one vulnerable person or group you can serve in the next two weeks, and what is one concrete step you will take (visit, meal, ride, call, tutoring, advocacy)? [01:00:26]
5. “If we can be thankful in everything, we can live through anything.” Where is life currently painful or disappointing? What is one specific way you can practice gratitude in that very place this week? [01:03:17]
6. “Time is like a bag of ice that sits in our sink and it melts.” What daily reminder will you use to number your days (brief prayer at wake-up, a verse card, end-of-day examen), and how will it change the way you handle today? [35:00]