"Our days are numbered. One of the primary goals in our lives should be to prepare for our last day. The legacy we leave behind is not just in our possessions but in the quality of our lives. What preparations should we be making now? The greatest waste in all our earth, which can't be recycled or reclaimed, is our waste of time that God has given is each day."
~ Reverend Billy Graham
There will always be things that distract us in our lives. We know this because God tells us in John 10:10 (ESV) that, "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly." Our enemy's only agenda is to steal from us, the enemy knows if we can waste our valuable time then our purpose will never be realized, and our destiny will in a sense be aborted and abandoned.
One of the main killers of time in my own life is procrastination. It is the ultimate time stealer and weapon of our enemy. Procrastination simply means to put off intentionally doing something that should be, by all rights, done and right soon. I am the worlds worst when it comes to putting off things and saying to myself that I can do that tomorrow, but what happens when tomorrow doesn't come.
"Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a cry, 'Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.' Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' But the wise answered, saying, 'Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.' And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. Afterward, the other virgins came also, saying, 'Lord, Lord, open to us.' But he answered, 'Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.' Watch, therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour."
Matthew 25:1-13 ESV
This example of procrastination really has convicted my heart because of the greatest opportunity missed. The parable that Jesus tells is regarding the return of the bridegroom. Five of the ladies in the story were prepared for him to arrive but five weren't. The story shows that the bridegroom was overdue to arrive and they got sleepy waiting for him to show up. Then at midnight, the doorbell rings and they know that the bridegroom has shown up. The five that were prepared put their lamps together and were there to receive him but the five that weren't were left stranded and didn't make it to the wedding.
This story and the quote from Reverend Graham above has been a real eye opener for me because I realize every day that we are gambling with our future thinking we have all kinds of time left in the world while our minds and hearts are distracted by social media, television, sports, text messages, emails, and the list can go on and on.
I want to use this to both convict and encourage you to look at the things that you spend your time in and on and ask yourself, "What am I putting off that could hurt my future that I could be doing right now?" It is our job to redeem the time we lost before it is too late to get it back.
Don't put it off any longer. Don't let words or actions go unsaid or undone. Do it today! Don't allow your time to be stolen any longer.
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