There’s nothing like a new year or a birthday or a death to remind you how precious time is. Another year has passed, and who knows how many more we have left. When I consider the things, I haven’t yet done that I was supposed to do, I think of how much time I’ve wasted and am reminded that time is not to be wasted. 

This begs a question- Why do we waste time? For something so valuable, and can never be replaced once it is spent, why would we ever allow time to just pass with nothing redeeming to show for it? It is because it’s about what we value or don’t value. It’s about what matters to us in the moment and that’s what we put our time towards. 

I was introduced to the phrase, “Time is money,” by an old co-worker who wrapped up a sales pitch quicker than normal for it to make a sale. He didn’t close the deal as the people were undecided, so he moved on to the next set of guests to try and make a sale. He was trying to make money and he knew the more time he spent with the undecided, he wasn’t making any. 

If we treated our time the way that guy treated his, I wonder how much of our lives would look different right now. To decide that I’m not going to let someone or something waste my time because I’m going after my purpose puts things in perspective. Time is life. As we should give purpose to the money we receive and not waste it, give purpose to your time. This time next year, let’s not be in the same place. Let’s make decisions to live out the purpose God has put us here for and do what He says. That’s real living. 

“I do want to point out, friends, that time is of the essence. There is no time to waste, so don’t complicate your lives unnecessarily. Keep it simple—in marriage, grief, joy, whatever. Even in ordinary things—your daily routines of shopping, and so on.”- 1 Corinthians 7:29-31 MSG